How to Save a Life
by Crisis Rose
Summary: Eric's loved Ariel for as long as he can remember, but has never been bold enough to tell her. Can a voyage on the RMS Titanic bring them closer, or will they just end up drifting further apart? Do good things really come to those who wait? AU.
1. Prologue

_**Author's Note:** Hello everyone! _

_This is my first crossover, and just a little something I wanted to try out. I've been working on this chapter for weeks, adding a couple of sentences whenever I've found a spare minute. It's something that I will continue to work on, though not frequently; having said that I do hope to write more once I have more time, and intend to complete it in the future. I'm not sure how often updates are going to come, but I'll have a lot of time during the summer to work on it, so bare with me._

 _T_ _hank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the story!_

* * *

The afternoon sun beat down harshly upon the thousands of people who adorned the miles of beach along the south coast of England. The shallow waters playing host to people of all ages, either wanting to cool down in the refreshing waters, or simply jumping the small waves that rolled onto the beach at regular intervals. Red, sunburnt bodies littered the yellow sand, and the smell of various sweet and savoury foods floated on the slight breeze that came with being this close to the ocean.

The sand dunes behind the beaches were quiet, and trees provided a welcome shade from the beating sun. Beneath one of these trees sat two children, each licking ice creams at an alarming pace so as not to ruin their clothes when the treat inevitably melted.

The eldest of these children was nine year old Eric, a young Lord, eldest son of the highly esteemed Lord and Lady of the manor; who had somehow managed to escape the watchful eye of head servant Grimsby, who had been instructed by the young boy's parents to accompany him on his outing today, whilst they stayed home with their new born son Max.

His companion was Ariel, a girl of seven. Her parents were of working class yet, despite their differences, she and Eric had been best friends for years.

The two sat peacefully upon the dunes, talking of other worlds and fantasies that only young minds can comprehend, allowing their imaginations to flourish. They watched mighty vessels sail upon the horizon, and imagined what it would be like to set sail themselves. It wasn't until Grimsby cleared his throat that they realised they were no longer alone. Eric was steered away by the older gentleman, and Ariel ran down to the beach to re-join her parents and six older sisters. They parted with a promise to meet up again soon, and each left with a smile on their face.

* * *

Years passed, and their young lives, once intertwined so tightly began to quickly unravel. At the age of twelve, Eric lost both his parents and young brother in a car accident. He himself was hospitalised, but eventually made a full recovery and was able to return home with healing cuts and bruises the only physical indication that he'd been involved in the accident at all. But emotionally, one could easily tell what the boy had been through. He retreated into himself, becoming fearful, and would shy away of anyone who came close. Grimsby seemed to be the only person he'd talk to, and took it upon himself to care for the child until he was old enough to do so himself.

Ariel would visit often, and although the two were still close friends, Eric wasn't the same person he once was. He seldom if ever went outside and had lost every ounce of confidence he'd ever had in himself.

It wasn't until the age of fourteen that he began to 'come out of his shell' as it were, and began spending the days with Ariel once again. But things had changed. During his absence, she had become close friends with her neighbour, Warren. Warren was a year older than Eric, but his size was of someone much older.

The three went about the town together, but it soon became apparent that Warren wasn't particularly keen on Eric, often being rather spiteful to the young Lord. Eric was grateful for Ariel's intervention, for it reminded him that she still intended on continuing their friendship even after all these years.

* * *

As they grew older still, Ariel became radiant, her beauty increasing with every year that passed. Eric would often compliment her appearance, causing her to blush; and once or twice he even dared to kiss her hand or cheek as they parted ways at the end of the day. He loved her, and was sure she felt the same way.

In his twentieth year he brought a ring, encrusted with diamonds and sapphires, for he knew those to be his loves favoured gems. He had every intention on asking for her hand in marriage, but knew that he would first have to confess his love, and that was no easy task for someone so shy.

Days passed, and still he found himself unable to form the right words in his head, resulting in him ended up saying nothing, and promising himself that he'd be braver the next day, until one morning all hope of a live with her was shattered.

It was a crisp morning in November, and the two had agreed to meet on the same dunes they had spent so much time on together as children. Eric arrived first, a small box containing the ring in his hands. He didn't intend to give it to her that day, but had decided that having it with him would fuel him to say what needed to be said.

A soon as she came into view, he shoved it into his pocket and, taking a deep breath, awaited her arrival. But upon turning to her, Eric was greeted with the sight of a familiar figure by her side, and as they came closer, his heart sank. Warren's hand was clasped tightly around Ariel's, and she showed no sign of pulling away. The pair stopped a meter or so into front of Eric and what came out of Warren's mouth next made Eric want to scream.

They were engaged.

The ring in his pocket suddenly felt incredibly heavy and the colour drained from his face. He searched Ariel's features for any sign that this wasn't happening but found nothing; instead, he saw only happiness. Congratulating them was more difficult than he'd anticipated because his heart was suddenly in his throat, and he quickly excused himself, saying that he suddenly felt unwell. He felt hurt and betrayed beyond what he ever thought possible, but more than anything, he felt disappointed in himself. If he'd only been braver, then he wouldn't be feeling like this now. His entire body felt numb as he walked through the busy streets, and he barely made it through his own front door before passing out.

No, good things _don't_ come to those who wait…


	2. Chapter I

"Thank you for coming Mr. Andrews," said Eric, shaking hands firmly with the naval architect. "I look forward to seeing you again next month."

"Yes, and you sir," replied Andrews, adjusting his grip on the blueprints under his arm as a sudden gust of wind blew over the front porch of the young Lord's stately home. "It's sure to be a fascinating voyage, one that'll go down in history I've no doubt. Good day sir." And with a tip of his hat, he stepped into the waiting car, placing the Titanic's blueprints on the seat beside him.

As the car disappeared from view, Eric turned back towards his home, but not before a familiar head of crimson hair caught his eye. With a knowing smile he descended the steps which lead up to his front door and stood patiently whilst Ariel approached him.

"I can't keep you away can I?" said Eric as soon as she were close enough to hear him, humour evident in his light-hearted remark. With an apologetic smile Ariel looped an arm around Eric's neck and kissed his cheek in a friendly greeting, earning her a scowl from her husband.

"I'm so sorry," she replied, stepping back to stand at Warren's side, "I think Cory left his toy here when we came for lunch yesterday." She motioned to the toddler in her arms.

Cory had been born only a year after Ariel and Warren were married; just another nail in the coffin in Eric's opinion. Though Eric was somewhat pleased that the child didn't resemble his father in the slightest, aside from his gender; his mop of red hair and sea blue eyes linking him to one person only.

It wasn't that he didn't like the boy; in fact it was quite the opposite, Eric had grown rather fond of the four year old. It was just the suddenness of it. The two get engaged out of the blue, are married a month later and by the time their first anniversary comes around they already have a child. What's worse is that Eric knows for a fact that Warren never wanted children, and so likely only impregnated Ariel to spite him.

Ariel had come close to death during childbirth, and had she not made it, Eric would never have forgiven Warren. But what he saw in Ariel's eyes was only happiness; and if she was happy then he was too. Perhaps he was just being paranoid? Stepping back, he swept his arm towards the door and invited the family in for tea, remaining cheerful despite how Warren glared at him.

* * *

It didn't take long to find Cory's bear behind the sofa, much to the delight of the toddler.

"What do you say Cory?" prompted Ariel as Eric placed the stuffed bear in Cory's outstretched arms. Clutching the toy to his chest, Cory looked up at Eric, who had knelt down to the child's level.

"Thank you" he said timidly. Eric's smiled warmly and gently ruffled the toddler's hair before standing up again.

"You're very welcome Cory" he said, turning to notice Grimsby standing by the door to the living room, seeming to be able to talk to him with only a glance. "Excuse me for a second."

The young Lord followed Grimsby to the next room and looked to him expectantly.

"Sir, having their sort come for lunch is one thing, but to have them visit spontaneously it's-"

"Wait, hold up a minute," interrupted Eric, "their sort? What exactly are you implying?" The servant took a calming breath, fully intent on having Eric see the error of his ways.

"Their class, sir, it isn't wise to have them round so often, they'll start taking advantage of you." Eric sighed and leant against the desk behind him.

"Grimsby I've known Ariel since we were children, she and I are good friends and no less so now she that she has a family."

"She's using you!" spat Grimsby. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that she arrived the moment Mr. Andrews left? She knows about the trip and she knows damn well how much it cost you!"

Eric narrowed his eyes, and stood up to his full height, making him at least a head taller than the head servant. Whether or not he was a close to Ariel as he'd like to be, he wasn't about to stand there and listen to people make ludicrous accusations about her.

"Grimsby, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself" he said, his voice heated.

* * *

When Eric arrived back in the living room, a maid had already brought tea and biscuits.

"Thank you Carlotta" he said, taking a seat in the arm chair to Ariel's left. The maid nodded her head respectfully and, after handing him a cup and saucer, scurried from the room.

It wasn't long after this that Cory grew restless and began trying to wriggle out of his mother's arms, spluttered cries escaping his lips every few seconds despite Ariel's gentle attempts to calm him. Then suddenly something inside Warren snapped, causing both Ariel and Eric jump.

"Shut up!" he yelled, grabbing Cory's wrist tightly, "won't you bloody behave!"

"Warren please, there's no need for that" said Ariel calmly, releasing her husband's firm grip on her son, who was now crying even harder, scared of his father's rage. Unsure of whether or not to intervene, Eric spoke up quietly.

"There's a nursery upstairs if you'd like to try and cheer him up."

Ariel and Warren turned to face the young Lord and after only a moment of consideration Ariel nodded.

"Would that be alright?" she asked, having to raise her voice slightly so as to be heard of her son's clamorous wails.

"Of course, I'll have Carlotta show you up." Ariel smiled then, but was sure she had heard something that almost resembled sorrow in Eric's voice, and it wasn't until she reached the nursery that she found out why.

"Here we are ma'am. You know, this is the first time anyone's played in here since eighteen ninety nine," said Carlotta, opening the door to the room filled with books and toys of all sorts. "I've maintained it of course, so that Eric's own children might use it one day."

Ariel was about to question the maid until realising the truth for herself. That was the year Eric lost his family. The girl suddenly felt bad, but thanked the maid none the less and carried her whimpering son into the room.

* * *

"So," began Warren, "you've been talking to Thomas Andrews." It hadn't been a question, but Eric found himself replying, his eyes following Warren as he wandered about the room.

"That's right" he replied shortly. An uncomfortable silence filled the room; Warren studying the port on the mantelpiece.

"You're going on the Titanic then?" Again Eric nodded, causing Warren to scoff and slowly shake his head. "Your lot get all the privileges" he muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough for it to go unheard by Eric, but he decided to hold his tongue. Then a smirk took over Warren's features and he turned completely to face Eric.

"You know, Ariel's wanted to go since she heard about it?" Eric held Warren's stare; he knew exactly what he was trying to do, and cast his mind back to his discussion with Grimsby not so long ago.

"Why not get her tickets then?" he asked. "She is _your_ wife after all." He hadn't meant to put emphasis on the 'your' but somehow that's what came out, and it certainly didn't go unnoticed by Warren.

"You know damn well we can't afford it!" he shouted taking a few menacing steps towards the young Lord. Eric rose to his feet as Warren approached him, sensing the danger immediately. He was a good few inches shorter than Warren, and certainly much slimmer, but held the older man's harsh glare firmly. He wasn't one to seek out conflict, but Warren was one person he certainly didn't mind standing up to.

"I know how you feel about her" spat Warren, his face only inches away from Eric's by this point, "but she's mine, if you want to make her happy, you'll get all three of us access to everything you have on board that ship."

"Are you threatening me?"

Warren's lips curved up into a wicked smile.

"You want to make her happy, don't you?"

Eric knew he didn't have to reply, Warren already knew the answer.

"What exactly do you expect me to do? There isn't a single space left on that boat, there hasn't been for months, especially with regards to first class" exclaimed Eric, annoyed at his own conflicted thoughts. He knew Warren was trying to scam him, three additional first class tickets would cost him a small fortune, especially since he'd have to try and buy them off of someone else; yet if he had the ability to provide Ariel with happiness than he'd do whatever it took without giving the matter a second thought. He sighed, and lowered his gaze to the floor before looking back to Warren.

"I'll see what I can do."


	3. Chapter II

Eric wasn't afraid of Warren, nor did he believe that the lower class man possessed the means of actually hurting him. So why was it that he currently found himself withdrawing over two and a half thousand pounds from his bank account?*

Getting three tickets in first class hadn't been easy, in fact, it had been almost impossible. Nobody was willing to give up their space on the Titanic, and those who were interested in selling never had any more than two tickets; and Eric knew for a fact that that wouldn't be good enough. After over a week of fruitless searching and countless arguments Eric had finally managed to persuade his father's old business rival to sell. The mere thought that he had to pay this much money to a man who had given his father so much grief made the young Lord shiver. The only reason he'd approached the man at all was because the Titanic set sail in less than two weeks and his desire to provide Ariel with happiness was stronger than anything he'd ever encountered. Grimsby had had a fit when he learned just how much Eric was paying, and Eric himself knew that the amount was eccentric; perhaps more than double what had been paid for them in the first place.

The twenty five year old practically collapsed into his desk chair once he got home, tickets firmly clasped in his hand. He hated arguing with people, and as a result had been in a constant state of panic all week, though never in the view of others. Eric could honestly say he was exhausted.

"Sir, I really must protest," proclaimed Grimsby, bursting into the study. "This is absolutely ludicrous!" Eric looked up to the man, his blue eyes calm despite the current situation and had just opened his mouth to reply when they were interrupted by a heavy knock at the door. Eric closed his eyes for a moment a sighed as Grimsby straightened up and left the room.

Within a matter of moments, Warren was stood in the doorway to Eric's study; his huge frame meaning that Grimsby had no option but to remain outside in the hall. His eyes scoured the room for a while before coming to rest on the tickets which Eric held in his left hand. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly and he stepped further into the room, ensuring that the door shut behind him.

"It's about time" he said, holding out his hand in a simple gesture.

Eric rose steadily to his feet and walked round his desk to stand in front of Warren.

"Is Ariel here?" he asked.

"Why would she be? If she were here she'd know you bought the tickets."

Eric couldn't ignore the sound of satisfaction in Warren's voice as he said that. That had been his plan all along, to persuade Ariel that he'd managed to get her first class tickets on board the Titanic and neglect to mention that Eric had had anything to do with it. The young Lord could feel anger rising inside him. He'd worked damn hard to get these tickets, and he wasn't about to let Warren take undue credit for them.

"I'd rather give them to her myself" he said calmly, moving the tickets behind him and placing them on the desk out of Warren's reach. The lower class man scoffed and turned his back on Eric, moving towards the closed door and sliding the bolt across.

"You think you can win her over?" he asked sceptically, turning again to face Eric. "You don't stand a chance, like I said, she's mine." Eric narrowed his eyes at Warren's comment. He never failed to objectify her, always treating her as if she were his property, and that's the one thing Eric couldn't stand.

"You don't own her Warren" he said, the slow movements of the man as he followed the wall of the room unnerving him slightly. His comment caused Warren to freeze and before he could react the older man's hand was around his neck, his sweaty face mere inches away from his own. Eric could smell the alcohol in his every breath, and clearly see the damage that an excessive amount of tobacco had done to his teeth.

"Neither do you!" he shouted. "And you never will. I got her first!"

Although the hand around his neck wasn't interfering with his breathing at all, Warren's firm grip and calloused hands still hurt to some degree, and Eric brought his own hand up in an attempt to release himself. But Warren wasn't having any of it. In a flash he caught Eric's wrist, and twisted his arm awkwardly behind his back, preventing the man from moving without sending shocks of pain through his shoulder.

Eric grunted in pain as the grip around his neck became tighter, causing his breaths to come out in short gasps. What Ariel saw in this man was quite frankly beyond him.

"Now listen carefully," spat Warren, pressing his body against Eric's back as the young Lord struggled against his firm grip, "I don't _like_ Ariel, but I'd do anything to stop her ending up with someone like you. You with your money and big houses, you've done nothing to deserve it."

Eric could feel himself becoming slightly lightheaded, and tried desperately to force air past Warren's hold and into his lungs. He could hear Grimsby on the other side of the door, and see the door knob shuddering as the servant tried unsuccessfully to enter the room. Now Eric really was beginning to wish he'd listened to the old man.

It took him a while to process what Warren had just said, and quickly realised that Warren's hatred for him was simply due to the fact that he'd been born into an aristocratic family. The next realisation hit him like a hammer; Warren had deliberately taken Ariel from him, and married her, not because he loved her, but only to prevent her from being taken by anyone else. If Eric had any strength left then he'd certainly give Warren a piece of his mind. But he didn't, and having been deprived of oxygen for so long he was starting to get tunnel vision, his chest heaving as he fought to inhale. When did Warren's grip get to tight?

As the young Lord's struggles became weaker, Warren released him, allowing his body to fall to the ground. Oxygen flooded into Eric's lungs the second he was released, and he lay on the floor gasping, trying unsuccessfully to move into a more comfortable sitting position.

"You tell anybody about this and I _will_ know," said Warren smoothly, picking up the tickets from the desk behind him, "and mark my words, it won't be you who pays for it. If you _really_ care about her, you'll keep quiet."

"Don't you dare hurt her" rasped Eric, pushing himself up on shaky arms, his shoulder protesting every movement as he rose slowly to his feet.

"Then keep quiet" said Warren bluntly, sliding the bolt back as soon as Eric was on his feet. And with that, he left the room, leaving Eric to stare after him in complete and utter bewilderment until Grimsby rushed into the room.

"Sir, what happened? You're hurt! That's it I'm calling the police!"

"No!" cried Eric desperately, stopping the servant as he reached for the phone. "There's no need, honestly, I'm fine."

"But that man-"

"Leave him, he's not worth it Grimsby," interrupted Eric, bringing a hand up to tenderly rub his already bruised neck. "I can deal with it."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note** : *two and a half thousand pounds (£2,500) by todays rates would be almost £300,000 (about $450,000)_


	4. Chapter III

Ariel stared up in awe at the mighty vessel as it prepared for its departure. She had never seen a ship so huge in all her life.

When Warren had come home with three first class tickets, she had simply stared at him, for it was completely unexpected and not something that they had discussed prior to the reveal. When she'd asked how he'd gotten them, Warren merely said that an old family friend no longer needed them, but Ariel knew deep down that he's been lying. They didn't know anyone with that much money, besides Eric, and when she'd spoken to him about it he claimed to know nothing of how Warren acquired the tickets. After that the thought had been pushed to the back of her mind, for she'd had to prepare for the voyage in two short weeks, and that included buying clothes which far surpassed those owned by women of her class. With the little money she and Warren had it had been difficult, but eventually they were able to earn enough money to get both themselves and Cory a couple of new outfits, just so they were able to fit in better once on board. She knew already that they'd be the lowest class people in first class, and certainly didn't want to stick out any more than they already did.

Various dignitaries shot them odd looks as they queued to hand off their luggage before embarking. They had been told that their bags would be taken up to their room for them by staff, and that was something that would take some getting used to, for she wasn't accustomed to being waited on.

Once they'd handed over their bags, they joined the queue of people waiting to get on the ship with Warren constantly complaining at the speed at which the line was moving. Ariel could feel the eyes on her as her husband continued to rant and decided instead to switch her attention to her son. The toddler lay fast asleep in her arms, his head rested on her shoulder and his thumb in his mouth. He had been up late last night because Warren had come back from the pub after midnight, yelling incoherent words in his drunken state before passing out on the sofa. Of course he had woken the child up (who had then been too scared to go back to sleep) which is exactly what he looked to be doing now.

The toddler groaned and wriggled slightly in his mother's arms as his father's complaints woke him from slumber. A single spluttered cry escaped his lips as he woke, earning him a stern glare from Warren. Seeing that her husband was already in a foul mood, Ariel stepped out of the queue.

"We won't be long," she said, knowing that Warren wasn't one to give up his place in a line for anyone. "We'll be back before you reach the front." Warren shook his head disapprovingly and muttered something under his breath, though not loudly enough for Ariel to hear. Adjusting her grip on the crying child, she began walking through the crowds, trying to find somewhere quiet to sit for a while until the four year old calmed down.

"Shush darling," she cooed, patting Cory's back and holding him close. "It's alright, mummy's here."

After a while, Cory's cries were reduced to quiet sniffles, and Ariel decided it best to get back to Warren. She started off in the direction she'd come, having to weave her way through the dense crowds. More than once she had to apologise for bumping into people and it was only after several minutes that she realised she had no idea which direction she should be going. She hadn't thought to check whereabouts Warren was queuing, and being this far away from the boat, she couldn't see through the crowds at all.

Ariel quickly began to panic. She couldn't afford have Warren's temper rise any further, and was already angry enough as it was, though that was mainly down to his hangover.

Amongst the confusion, she hadn't been looking where she was going, and bumped quiet forcefully into one of the upper class women.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to I-" she stuttered, before being cut off by a man who she presumed was the woman's husband.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he questioned, raising his voice as he took a few steps towards Ariel, leaving other men to help his wife up.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going" she rushed, stepping back and in the process knocking into somebody else. By now there were quite a number of people watching the scene unfold, knowing by just one glance that the working class woman was in trouble. Ariel had put all of her new clothes into her suitcase, wanting to save them for formal dinners and such, so it was clear that she was of working class.

"I don't want excuses," continued the man, catching Ariel's wrist and preventing her from moving away further, "how dare you!" Ariel began to panic; she had no arms free do defend herself now, and so positioned herself so that Cory was as far away from the man as possible just in case he had plans of hurting her, something which seemed likely, judging by the tightness of his grip around her wrist.

"P-please, sir, I… it was an accident."

"Don't talk back to me harlot, I-"

"Mr. Davidson." Ariel and the man turned as a calm, firm voice sounded above the chatter, and the sight made Ariel want to cry with relief.

"Eric" she said, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as Eric walked towards her, causing the man – Mr. Davidson – to release his grip on her.

"She's injured my wife, sir" he said, motioning to the woman who now stood behind him, unhurt.

"She looks fine to me," replied Eric, "and I'm sure it was just an accident. No harm done." Mr. Davidson was about to protest but stopped himself, before turning and leading his wife away.

Ariel sighed, and brought her hand up to her head, close to tears.

"Are you alright?"

Ariel looked up at Eric, his gentle voice seeming to chase away all the panic that she'd felt only moments ago.

"Yes, thank you" she replied, genuinely thankful for Eric's intervention. Eric replied with a smile and scoured the crowd quickly before turning back to face Ariel.

"Is Warren not with you?" The mention of her husband's name reminded Ariel of the situation she was in and she immediately started to panic again.

"Yes… well I-I was just going back to him and I… I don't…" Ariel paused and sighed again, realising that she was babbling. "I'm lost" she said simply, looking helplessly up at Eric.

Seeing Ariel so distressed made Eric's heart ache. She had always been so full of life when they were kids, always looking for adventure and searching for fun; yet since she'd married Warren he hardly ever saw her laugh, and smiles were becoming a rare treat now as well.

"Maybe I can help," he offered, "whereabouts is he?"

"We were lining up to get on the boat, I just had to take Cory away for a moment and I didn't realise how far I'd gone, I didn't mean to cause a fuss."

"Ariel, its fine, the man you bumped into just likes to overreact. I saw the whole thing, he was making a scene out of nothing and it certainly wasn't your fault," reassured Eric. "As for your other problem, I can take your there now."

Ariel could have kissed Eric in that moment, but restrained herself and opted for a simple nod.

The two of them walked through the crowds with Eric leading the way, Cory was now on the verge of sleep again having exhausted himself further whilst crying.

"When did you get here then?" asked Ariel once she and Eric had left the main crowd.

"A couple of hours ago," replied Eric, "I just decided that I'd walk around for a bit before I'm stuck on a boat with hundreds of business men for a week." A smile tugged at the young Lord's mouth, dimples showing as he responded to Ariel's question. The young woman laughed at this, but her happiness wasn't to last for long. The sound of angry shouting echoed off the side of the ship, and Ariel knew immediately who was causing it.

"Oh no" she groaned, spotting Warren through the crowd.

"Sir these tickets aren't under your name" said the ticket collector, quickly losing his patience with the imposter before him.

"Well why the hell not?" yelled Warren, throwing his arms up in frustration, "they're mine!"

Ariel hurried up behind her husband and tried to calm him down.

"Warren, stop it!" she cried as Warren grabbed the front of the man's jacket, still shouting insults at him.

"Let go Ariel!" he thundered, throwing his hand back and striking his wife across the cheek, causing her to stumble back into Eric, who caught her quickly and with ease.

"Ariel, are you okay" he asked, worry evident in his voice, turning her so that was now facing him. Ariel nodded, bringing a hand up to rub her stinging cheek as tears clouded her vision. Though, determined not to show any signs of weakness, she looked to Cory, who remained in her arms, clinging to her even after everything that had happen over the past ten minutes, his face hidden against her shoulder.

Eric turned to Warren, who continued to assault the ticket collector even now that there were now other members of staff around him. Seeing the danger that he now posed, Eric saw no option but to intervene.

"Warren I'll sort it, will you please just calm down" he said, stepping forward to stand between Warren and the flustered ticket collector. What he hadn't anticipated was Warren hitting him, and had no time to react before Warren's fist connected with his nose, eliciting a soft groan of pain from the young Lord. It was only then that the fighting ceased, and all eyes turned to Eric. Ariel gave a small breathless scream and her hand flew to her mouth in shock. As Eric stood dazed, the metallic taste of blood entered his mouth and when the twenty four year old brought his hand away from his philtrum, it was covered in scarlet blood.

Ariel was the first to react, pulling a white handkerchief from her bag and pitching it lightly around Eric's nose. He hissed softly at the slight sting, and held the handkerchief in place to stop the blood flow.

"Eric I'm so sorry" said Ariel, her voice only a whisper, almost as if she were afraid of anybody else hearing. Eric shook his head slightly to let her know without words that it didn't matter, before turning his attention back to Warren and the ticket collector.

"They're with me," he said, pulling the handkerchief away for a moment so as to speak more clearly, "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding." The ticket collector straightened himself up and adjusted his jacket, looking at Warren through narrowed eyes.

"Very well," he said eventually, "welcome aboard the Titanic."


	5. Chapter IV

"Here we are" announced Eric, stopping in front of Ariel, Warren and Cory's room. He unlocked the door swiftly and handed the keys to Warren before pushing the door open and taking a step back, allowing the family to enter. He too then stepped into the room, but only so that he could get out of the way of the surge of upper class people also making their way to their rooms.

Ariel marvelled at the room she was now stood in. It was necessary for the family to occupy two rooms in order to accommodate both adults and Cory; the door between these two rooms, they decided, would be open permanently. Their cabin was on A deck, the same deck that Eric was staying on, although their rooms were on opposite sides of the ship; she, Warren and Cory had rooms A11 and A17, whereas Eric had room A20.

It had been revealed at the docks that it was in fact Eric who had gotten her and her family the tickets, but how and why he had gotten them remained a mystery. She made a mental note to ask him when the two of them were alone. Ariel turned to the young Lord and flashed him a grateful smile whilst Warren's back was turned. Eric nodded once in understanding and stepped back into the corridor.

"I should get going," he said, knowing full well that Warren didn't want him here. "You know where I am should you need anything."

"Where are the bags?" growled Warren. Ariel tensed at her husband's heated words; he seemed to be getting angry over the smallest things today.

"They'll be brought up soon" assured Eric, hating the thought of leaving Ariel with a man who had only minutes ago been the reason he was sat with the ship's medic. Luckily his nose wasn't broken, but he knew now that he'd have to be a lot more careful around Warren if he wanted to avoid getting seriously hurt.

"Thank you for everything" said Ariel, her voice sincere, not daring to take her eyes off of Eric for one moment. The panic in her eyes was there as soon as she'd spoken, and in that moment Eric wanted nothing more than to run and comfort her, but he knew of the threat Warren posed, and knew that one wrong move could have dire consequences for Ariel.

"You're welcome," he said simply, catching Warren's eye for a second, "I'll see you later." Then, and with great difficulty, he forced his legs to take him towards his own room, trying not to let his imagination go too far.

Warren walked to the door and slammed it shut the second Eric was out of sight, breathing heavily through his nose. Ariel flinched, and then hastily carried Cory to the adjoining room and lay him down under the covers. She sat on the edge of his bed and took her time ensuring that he was comfortable. Too long it seemed. The sound of smashing glass sounded from the next room and Ariel knew that the longer she stayed with her son, the more her husband's temper rose. Taking a deep breath she stood and made her way back to A17 where she and Warren would be sleeping; making sure to leave the door between the two rooms ajar.

They hadn't been there five minutes, and already Warren had destroyed one of the glasses, the shards of which now covered the floor.

"Warren… I-"

"Shut up!"

The sudden yell made Ariel jump and she instinctively brought her hands up to cover her face. When Warren saw this he strode towards he, savouring the way her body trembled in fear. As soon as he was close enough he grabbed her wrist, pulling her body against his.

"What do feel for him?" he spat.

Ariel didn't even try to fight, she knew for experience how that would end up, and it was something she never wanted to go through again.

"N-nothing, we're just friends Warren" she replied, unable to stop her voice from wavering as she spoke.

"Don't lie to me!" yelled Warren, speaking almost before Ariel could finish her sentence. "I see the way you look at him… you love him." The man's grip got tighter with every word he spoke.

"No" said Ariel, her voice a broken sob.

But Warren wasn't having any of it; he threw her forcefully to the floor before advancing on her once again. Ariel's petite size gave her a significant disadvantage against her monster of a husband, and before she could scramble to her feet he was sat on top of her, pinning her to the ground and causing some of the larger glass shards to cut into her pale skin.

"Warren, please!" she begged, her voice not making it above a whisper as she tried weakly too move away. But seeing her struggle only angered Warren more, and without a second though he brought his fist down hard against her abdomen, winding her immediately. The girl gasped and began to cry as each intake of breath proved more difficult than the last. More blows to her chest and arms left the young woman screaming, but Warren's hand over her mouth meant that her despair went unheard. All she could do now was wait for it to end. Warren had learnt to avoid bruising any part of her skin that couldn't be covered up, so the damage stopped at the base of her neck; the pain however, didn't. Her throat felt raw from crying and her head pounded thanks to the fear and stress that being with Warren caused her on a daily basis.

A sudden knock at the door caused them both to freeze.

"Hide" hissed Warren through clenched teeth, getting up and freeing his wife in the process.

Ariel didn't need to be told twice, and despite the sharp pain that assaulted her body every time she moved the twenty two year old managed to crawl into Cory's room, who by some miracle hadn't been woken by the commotion, and shut the door behind her.

The sounds of voices were muffled by the closed door, but Ariel wasn't listening anyway. She retreated into the corner of the room and dragged her knees up to her chest, letting hot tears soak her cheeks. She had suffered beatings like this before, but her experience didn't lessen the fear that came with them. She would have left him years ago if she's had a choice, in fact, she never would have married him in the first place; but the alternative was something she'd never have been able to live with. She was trapped.

Moments later Warren entered the room and threw their bags onto the floor beside the bed, not even bothering to look at Ariel before he turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him. A second door shutting told Ariel that he was no longer in their cabin, and with that in mind, she let the first of many broken sobs escape her lips.

"Help me," she whispered to the silence, "Eric, help me."

* * *

In his own room, Eric sighed, as he held a familiar velvet box in his hand. Inside sat a ring, encrusted with diamonds and sapphires, the same one he had bought for Ariel so many years ago. Why he'd kept it remained a mystery even to him, for the weight of it hadn't lessened any since he'd been told of Warren's engagement to Ariel.

But he knew more of Warren now than he did then; and he knew of the danger he posed to his beloved. It was clear to him now that Ariel was unhappy in her marriage, and he was determined to do something about that. Warren was a threat, yes; but that wouldn't stop him.

He'd find a way... somehow.


	6. Chapter V

Ariel wasn't sure how much time had passed… minutes… hours. She was unsure, but Cory's slow breaths told her that it had been enough time for her son to fall into a deep sleep, something which she was actually very grateful for, because it meant that he wouldn't have to listen to his parents arguing should Warren come back in the same mood he had left in.

Speaking of Warren, Ariel hadn't seen him since their encounter just before the ship left Southampton. After that she'd sat in Cory's room for what felt like hours until he woke up, then dressed him in formal attire and taken him to have dinner, for apparently it was rare that children ate with their parents at dinner, especially one as formal as the one she and Warren would later be attending. Ariel idly wondered whether Eric would join them, or whether he had other plans. Secretly she hoped he'd at least be close.

Noticing the time, Ariel decided it time to get ready for dinner, and took a lot of time ensuring that there wasn't a trace that she'd been hurt. Her gown hugged her upper body before flaring out slightly at the hips and floating down around her ankles. Only small heels were needed to ensure that she didn't tread on the hem. The skirt of the dress was a deep blue silk, with the bodice made of heavier material of the same colour, tiny gems sewn in swirling patterns, catching the dim light which flooded her cabin. She took an hour to brush and style her hair, pinning it in a side-bun at the base of her neck and allowing a couple of strands to fall on the opposite side, which she them proceeded to curl. Finally, she took a white shawl and draped it around her bruised shoulders, hoping that it wouldn't be seen as disrespectful were she to keep it on during the meal.

A sudden knock at the door make her jump, but she then realised that it was far too light a knock to be Warren's, and her heartrate slowed a considerable amount.

Though, once the door was open, her heart sank for some unknown reason. Was she hoping it would be someone else? A young maid looked back at her, with something that resembled confusion in her eyes.

"Good evening ma'am, I was sent to help you get ready for dinner." Ariel's eyes widened; was she wrong to have gotten herself ready?

"Oh," she gasped, "thank you, but… there's no need, I'm sorry."

The maid stared for a while, obviously not used to not being needed in this situation, before nodding her head in understanding and was about to reply until a familiar figure shoved passed her.

"Get out of my way" spat Warren, clearly getting used to this upper class lifestyle much more than Ariel was.

"Beg your pardon, sir" rushed the maid, standing well clear of the doorway. Ariel gave her an apologetic smile as she left, and then turned back into the room to see Warren flinging his clothes onto the bed in a hurried attempt to get himself ready.

"Warren there's no rush" said Ariel timidly, trying with no avail to calm her husband's frantic movements. But he wasn't listening, and didn't even seem to have noticed she was there at all. Ariel sighed and returned to the dresser, where she carefully applied a small amount of powder and lipstick to her flustered face.

A few moments later, Warren gave a growl of frustration, and Ariel turned around to see him struggling to successfully fold his pocket square.

"Here," she said, using all her strength to stop her voice from shaking, "let me." Warren threw the fabric at her and grabbed a bow tie from the draw, turning away from his wife, who managed to complete her task in very little time.

The two sat in complete silence after this as they waiting for the nurse who would watch over Cory whilst they were at dinner. Time passed painfully slowly for Ariel, who daren't even look at Warren out of fear that he may turn on her again. Instead she made herself busy by pretending to fix her hair and smooth out her dress, sometimes even taking pins out of her hair only to put them back in the way they were.

Finally, the nursemaid arrived, and in doing so received several minutes of verbal abuse from Warren, until he stormed out of the room, leaving Ariel to scurry after him. Though, her choice of footwear meant that Warren was soon a rather long way ahead of her, and even more so considering that he was more than happy to just push past people. Ariel could hear people muttering in disapproval, and prayed that her husband was too far away to hear what was being said about him.

It amazed Ariel how she was able to keep up with Warren, but once she reached the staircase down to B deck, she realised a flaw in what Warren was doing. He was heading towards the À la Carte restaurant, one which required a payment in order to dine there; and Ariel knew for a fact that Warren wouldn't be happy about having to pay for anything.

This could only end badly.

* * *

Eric was surprised that neither Ariel nor Warren came to the door, but instead a young nursemaid. It didn't take long for him to figure out that they must have already gone to dinner, and uttered a quick apology before heading down to B deck where he had been invited to dine with the likes of Captain Smith and Thomas Andrews this evening.

He heard the commotion outside the restaurant, and groaned inwardly, praying that the scene playing out in his mind was soon to be proved incorrect; though it was not to be. Warren's unmistakably loud and gruff voice echoed around the dome above the grand staircase, seeming to shake the entire room. Eric was just making his way through the crowd when he was caught by Mr. Andrews.

"It's good to see you again sir," he said, shaking Eric firmly by the hand, "we were just about to go in, it's awfully rowdy out here." As much as Eric knew it would be disrespectful to decline, he couldn't shake the scene behind him from his mind.

"Actually Mr. Andrews, would it be alright if I joined you in a moment? There's something I need to take care of." Without waiting for a reply, Eric strode away, moving expertly through the dense crowd towards the heart of the commotion ad quickly ran forward to put an end to Warren's rage; though he'd make sure to be more careful this time. As he neared, he looked cautiously towards Ariel, who looked close to tears, and eventually managed to get a word in edgeways.

"I'll pay for them" he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out enough money to allow the two of them access into the restaurant.

"Oh, no Eric it's-" began Ariel; but a cold glare from Warren silenced her immediately, and she ducked her head to avoid making eye contact again. Eric handed over the money, not once taking his eyes off of Ariel, who looked beautiful to say the least. Though that beauty was nothing compared to what it would be if she were to wear a smile as well. But Eric knew that was impossible at this moment, and watched silently as she obediently followed Warren into the restaurant.

* * *

It was merely coincidence that their tables were so close, and that Warren's back was to Eric. But it meant that Eric was able to glance at his beloved every so often; and rather frequently found himself in a sort of trance, captivated by her loveliness. Ariel would look up occasionally, but never for long; as soon as she and Eric made eye contact she would look away quickly and go back to eating slowly. She and Warren didn't seem to be talking at all, and Eric wasn't sure if that was for the best. He turned his attention back to the discussion which was taking place on his own table.

"We had to reduce the number of lifeboats to maintain her beauty, too many would have spoiled her" stated Mr. Andrews, raising a wine glass to his lips. This caught Eric's attention immediately.

"What if the lifeboats are needed?" he asked, causing a few of the men at the table to scoff and chuckle as if the question were utterly stupid.

"Sir, that won't be a problem, she's unsinkable!" This raised a few hearty cheers, but Eric wasn't convinced. His father's business meant that the young Lord knew a fair amount about shipping, and he was certain that every ship was required to carry enough lifeboats to hold all those on board. The danger caused by there being any less was far too great, especially on such a long journey.

The thought left his mind immediately though as soon as Warren threw his chair back, startling all those around him. In only a few seconds he had left the restaurant, leaving Ariel sat alone, head ducked, though it did nothing to hide her embarrassment. Eric quickly thanked those at his table and, having finished his meal, politely excused himself before walking over to Ariel. She dried her eyes as soon as she noticed Eric approaching, but not quickly enough for it to go unnoticed by the twenty four year old.

"Ariel, are you alright?" he asked gently. Ariel nodded, and managed to muster a small smile as she looked up at him.

"Fine," she replied, "thank you." Eric raised one eyebrow sceptically, and offered a hand to her as she looked to be standing up. She took it hesitantly and stood slowly; seeming to wince as she did so though Eric couldn't be sure.

"It's a beautiful sunset," he stated, "I don't suppose… you'd like to come up to the promenade with me would you?" Ariel stared at him for a moment, finding herself lost in his eyes; eyes which mirrored the colour of the sky on a clear summer's day… eyes full of kindness, and hope.

Warren had gone to the smoke room, and Ariel knew he'd probably find somewhere to have a few drinks as well. Either way, he wouldn't be heading back to their cabin any time soon, and she knew that Cory was so tired that he wouldn't be waking up until morning now. Despite knowing what Warren would do to her if he found out, she gave Eric a genuine smile. The first genuine smile she'd given anyone in a very long time.

"I'd love to" she said.


	7. Chapter VI

The sun painted orange streaks across the water; what remained of the days light catching on the gentle waves that surrounded the Titanic, and making them sparkle almost magically. Ariel closed her eyes, leaning her arms on the side of the boat, and took a deep breath of fresh sea air, relishing in the peace of the evening. The Titanic moved almost without motion, cutting easily through the water and creating a calming yet rhythmic crash of water below it.

It was a peace that Ariel had almost forgotten existed.

He dress blew softly around her ankles, the gems that adorned her bodice catching the light, making the dress shimmer; something which didn't go unnoticed by the man stood beside her.

"You look lovely tonight," commented Eric, before correcting himself. "Not that you don't look lovely every night, it's just… well I mean… I… you…" He trailed off, bringing a hand behind his head to rub the back of his neck. Ariel couldn't help but giggle. This was the Eric she knew.

"Thank you" she said, noticing the slight pink that now coloured Eric's cheeks.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, before Ariel spoke up again.

"Do you remember when we were kids, when we used to sit on the bridge and watch the boats go by? We'd always try and guess where they were going."

"Yes," replied Eric with a smile, "and you never took it seriously."

"Well I think the moon was a perfectly logical guess."

The two broke down laughing as they remembered all of the quirky places which Ariel had suggested would be good routes for a ship to take.

"We used to talk about where we'd most like to go, and I seem to recall you saying America on more than one occasion," remarked Ariel. "You got what you wanted."

"You didn't." Eric's voice was more serious now, having lost the humour from only moments ago. There was silence, as they both let Eric's words sink in.

Ariel sighed, before turning to face the twenty four year old.

"Why did you get us the tickets Eric?" she asked; her voice quiet.

Eric took a deep breath. Ariel knew already that he was the one who bought the tickets rather than Warren, and Warren knew that she knew. This left Eric with only one thought; a thought that immediately stopped anything else from entering his mind. Ariel was in danger. Warren had made his intentions painfully obvious, and were Warren to learn that Eric had told Ariel everything, it would be her that paid the price rather than him. But the look in Ariel's eyes was one of stubbornness; a look which would usually cause Eric to smile… but not today.

He sighed.

"Warren said that it was what you wanted, that it would make you happy," he said. "That's something I would never miss the chance to achieve."

Ariel looked puzzled for a moment, and glanced subtly over her shoulder before leaning closer to Eric.

"Then why did you let him take all the credit? Eric you've always tried to help us financially, and I'm so grateful for that; but those tickets must have cost you _so_ much money."

Eric hung his head to avoid making eye contact; this conversation was going into unwanted territory.

"How much did they cost you Eric?" Ariel's voice was more demanding now, and Eric knew that she wasn't going to leave this alone until she got an answer.

"Two and half thousand," mumbled Eric, before quickly straightening up to face Ariel, "but it doesn't matter okay I-"

"Two and a half thousand!" exclaimed Ariel almost hysterically, "Eric that's a ridiculous amount of money!" She could see that Eric was about to interrupt, so she quickly cut him off. "You shouldn't be spending that sort of money on us Eric," she said, still in disbelief, "I'll pay you back."

"No, Ariel it's fine, really it is, Warren just-"

He froze.

Several painfully long seconds crept by, and the two remained in silence as Eric realised he'd said too much judging by the look on Ariel's face. It seemed a lifetime before Ariel spoke again.

"Eric… did he threaten you?"

Eric lowered his head, and that was all Ariel needed to confirm her theory. The young maiden felt hot tears begin to sting her eyes, and she had to blink hard to keep them from spilling. This was all her fault, if she hadn't given up so easily to Warren all those years ago then none of this would be happening. She'd be happy and neither of them would be at risk of being hurt like this.

Noticing her distress, Eric gingerly took her hand in his.

"Ariel… it's alright, everything's going to be fine."

"How can it be?" Ariel asked, looking up at Eric with tears in her eyes, "Eric if I'd known he'd be this bad I would never have… I-I would've…" She trailed off and began to sob quietly, tightening her grip on Eric's hand. The young Lord stepped forward and pulled Ariel closer to him, holding her in a soft embrace.

"I know" he said softly.

Deep down he had known that Ariel didn't want to marry Warren, and he had suspected that perhaps she hadn't been given the choice. But to see just how unhappy she was broke his heart, and he feared that there was much more going on that he was unaware of.

"Ariel, if you want to then you can go back. We'll get off when the ship makes port in Ireland; you can go home and sort things out, I'll come with you, but you can't be expected to keep up this façade."

There was a moment of silence as Ariel processed Eric's words. He was willing to help her out of this even if it meant abandoning the voyage that he'd spent so much of his money on. She meant more to him than all of this.

Her mind was then drawn to the strong arms around her. Not crushing like Warren's, but more… loving, protective even. Eric's hand against her back was comforting; a comfort which she had long yearned for since her marriage to Warren. Yet forbidden by the very man she was forced to call her husband! She pulled away quickly and dried her eyes with the palms of her hands, smudging her make-up slightly.

"I can't," she said, keeping her voice low. "You don't know what he's like Eric; it's safer to stay with him. If I try and leave I'm not just putting myself in danger, but Cory too, and I can't do that Eric."

"I won't let him hurt you-"

"No, you don't understand!" cried Ariel. "There's nothing you can do."

It was then that Ariel turned and began walking back inside. The sun had fully set now, leaving a definite chill in the air, though Eric ignored it. He understood what Ariel was saying, but there must be a way to help her, to protect her from Warren, and he wasn't going to stop trying until she was safe.

* * *

Ariel lay silently in bed that night, thinking of her conversation with Eric. She recalled the hurt in his eyes, which told her he wanted nothing more than to help. Admittedly she felt bad about leaving without saying good bye, or even thank you; and she made a mental note to apologise the next time the two of them were alone.

Then there came a scraping and a thumping at the door, causing Ariel's breath to catch in her throat. She had her back to the door, yet she knew exactly who was there.

The door was suddenly thrown open, and Ariel shut her eyes tight, but she should've known that wouldn't make a difference. In less than a minute Warren had stripped naked and climbed clumsily on top of his wife. Pulling the covers back, his rough hands began pulling at her nightgown. Still Ariel's eyes remained shut, as if not looked would make it all stop. But soon her nightgown was thrown to the floor, and the stench of alcohol assaulted her senses as Warren leaned closer to her. His drunken state made him rougher than usual, and Ariel had to bite her lip hard to stop herself from screaming, drawing blood almost immediately.

A few choked cries escaped her lips and she tried desperately to get away.

But she couldn't.

Of course she couldn't.

She was trapped.

She'd always be trapped.


	8. Chapter VII

Ariel hadn't slept. Instead, she simply lay still, staring at the wall with unseeing eyes; eyes that were red from crying. She clutched the duvet to her bare chest, and held it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her entire body ached in the aftermath of Warren's rough behaviour last night; yet she still refused to relax her aching muscles. The young maiden was curled in a tight ball, making herself as small as possible, crushed between the wall, and Warren's huge frame. She daren't move out of fear of waking him, and tried to keep her breathing shallow.

She though back to Eric's proposition when the two of them had talked yesterday. She could get off in Ireland and leave Warren behind. She had Eric on her side, and he'd promised to help should she ever need him; the idea was entirely possible.

But she couldn't. He'd find her, and God knows what he'd do to her then; not only her, but Cory too. She couldn't put her son in danger like that… she'd wouldn't. She would just have to wait. _One day_ , she told herself, _one day everything will be alright_.

On the other side of the ship, Eric too lay wide awake, having barely slept a wink either. After Ariel's outburst yesterday evening, he'd been constantly worrying about her and the situation she was in. He knew well that there was much more going on that he wasn't aware of and he dread to think what was being done behind closed doors. One thing was certain though; Warren was a threat and Ariel was in danger, Cory too. He knew now that Ariel saw no way out, and that if he wanted to protect her then he'd have to go about it himself. Yet there was one thing – one person – that stood in his way; and to help Ariel without leading her into deeper trouble was going to be challenging; Warren's rage wasn't something to be taken lightly.

The young Lord sighed, wishing, not for the first time since the crash, that his father was here. He'd know what to do. He always knew what to do. He'd use his status and his businesses name with confidence, to put an end to this. But Eric couldn't do that. He'd never been comfortable acting as if he were more important than those around him; even now that he'd taken his father's place at the top.

After the car accident in 1900 there had been a huge financial battle between the closest partners of Eric's father's company to determine who gained control of it. Eventually, members of government had to get involved, and it was decided that Eric was gain control come his eighteenth birthday; although, Eric hadn't had a say in the matter. He knew his father would've wanted him to carry on his legacy as the owner of a major shipping company, and Eric certainly didn't want to let him down.

A single tear slipped from the sky-blue eyes of the twenty four year old as he remembered everything his father had worked towards, slipping away at _his_ fingertips. It wasn't that Eric was incapable of running a business, quite the opposite; he had matched his father and exceeded everybody's expectations. But it wasn't what he wanted to do, and because he hadn't a passion for it, the passion of those around him had wavered as well.

In many ways he too felt trapped. Being denied the freedom he craved by high piles of paper works and endless meetings. Even this trip, one that should have been enjoyable and exciting was nothing more than a journey to meet with business partners.

Or rather, that was the initial plan. Now helping Ariel seemed a much higher priority.

Ariel crouched down and held her son steady as he gripped the string of his new kite.

After breakfast, the family had made their way up to the promenade to enjoy the late morning sunshine whilst watching the ship come into port in Queenstown. On the way up, Ariel had fetched a few things from their room to help keep Cory occupied. They'd been out for an hour now, and still the child showed no signs of tiring from the kite. It was one o'clock, meaning that a lot of people were making their way up to the promenade to watch the ship leave Ireland or to wave goodbye to their loved ones.

"Mummy, look how high it is!" marvelled Cory, letting go with one hand to point up at his toy. Ariel smiled, glad that her son was finding some enjoyment from the trip.

"That is high isn't it! You know, I bet if you climbed up there you'd be able to touch the sky!"

Cory gasped in amazement and turned to face his mother.

"Really!?" he breathed. Ariel nodded, and was about to talk again until her husband interrupted her, taking a break from his cigarette to reprimand the woman in front of him.

"Oh for God's sake Ariel, you can't touch the sky, grow up!" Ariel's face fell as a group of passing men sniggered, and she turned back to Cory who was staring at her with large, sad eyes. She forced a smile, and kissed his rosy cheek, earning a content grin from him as he turned his attention back to the soaring kite.

Ariel soon found herself lost in thought, wondering why Warren wanted Cory to grow up so quickly. She knew he wasn't keen on children, but childhood was a magical time, why was he trying to ruin Cory's?

Her attention was suddenly caught by a sudden movement, and she was surprised to see her son waving. Following his gaze, she looked up to see Eric at the rails of the deck above them, returning Cory's wave. The deck they were on came out further than the one above, meaning that they were able to see each other easily. She hadn't realised she was smiling until Warren got up and turned his head towards Eric. Ariel couldn't see his facial expression, but the fact that Eric immediately stopped waving and gave a quick nod of his head before turning away told her enough.

Warren huffed and began walking away, pushing through the growing crowd of people until he was out of sight. It was then that Ariel realised just how busy the promenade had gotten, and became very wary of the fact that her son was controlling a kite in steadily increasing wind speeds.

"Darling, we'll play again later okay? It's getting a bit too busy now" she said, bringing the kite in. Luckily, Cory didn't protest, but whilst trying to help, managed to guide the kite into the back of someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" apologised Ariel, noting that this seemed to becoming something of a habit. Luckily for her though, this woman merely laughed it off, seeming much kinder than other's she met during the voyage.

"Don't worry about it love," she chuckled, "it was only an accident. I'm Edith."

Ariel sighed with relief, pleased to find someone so bubbly who wasn't about to make a scene like most people would have.

"I'm Ariel," she replied, "and this is my son Cory."

"Hello Cory" said Edith, bending down to Cory's height and flashing him a friendly smile.

Despite shying away against Ariel, Cory returned the greeting, causing Edith to chuckle once again, before straightening up.

"How old is he?"

"Four."

"Aw, they're wonderful at that age aren't they?"

Ariel smiled and nodded in agreement before a gentle hand on her shoulder causing her to spin round.

"Eric," she gasped. "I-I wasn't expecting you to come down."

"Yes, um… sorry, can I steal you for a minute?"

Ariel hesitated, and then nodded, turning back to Edith.

"It was lovely meeting you" she said.

"Yes, and you love. Perhaps we'll see each other again; you can introduce me to your husband."

Ariel and Eric both froze, taking a minute to process exactly what she meant before talking at the same time.

"Oh," began Ariel, "he's not… we're not… together..."

"…just friends" finished Eric. Edith smirked and held her hands up in mock surrender.

"Nothing wrong with that," she said, winking at Eric, "see you around." And with that, she turned back to her own group, allowing Eric to lead Ariel away, with Cory at her feet, both still smiling. But they stopped once they were inside, and Eric turned to Ariel, smiled disappearing.

"It's not too late…"

"Eric stop," commanded Ariel, barely giving him the chance to finish speaking. "I can't. You know that."

"But you can Ariel! You'll be safe, I promise" replied Eric, keeping his voice low. Ariel sighed, looking down to Cory who seemed to be looking at her expectantly before looking back to Eric.

"I can't, I'm sorry." Now it was Eric's turn to sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"Then what do you want me to do…"

"Nothing; Eric please, there's nothing to be done."

"But I'm worried about you."

"Don't be, I'm fine, honestly."

They both knew she was lying, but Eric could see that he wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation. Admittedly he didn't really have a plan past getting Ariel off the ship, all he cared about was removing the danger that Warren posed, but he was sure he could think of something when the time came. But he then realised that he'd need to have a better thought of plan in place once Warren returned to Southampton, and right now he didn't have any evidence to show what a monster he suspected Warren really was.

"Just… don't be afraid to ask for help. You're not alone Ariel" he reminded her, kissing her hand softly before making his way back to the promenade.

Ariel wanted to call out for him, to beg him to stay, but found the words caught at the back of her throat. And so, she was forced to watch as the man she loved disappeared into the crowd.


	9. Chapter VIII

After watching the Titanic leave Queenstown, Ariel and Cory made their way back to their room, hand in hand, to ready themselves for another meal. Ariel silently prayed that Warren would be in a better mood tonight. She couldn't let Eric pay for them to dine again, for he'd already wasted enough of his money on them over the past couple of months.

Cory walked next his mother, not straying more than a foot from her side. Since his birth he'd always been attached to Ariel, after quickly learning of his father's hot temper. The four year old spent the majority of his time in Ariel's arms, seeking protection more than anything else, often wondering what he'd done wrong to make his father so angry all the time. Ariel saw this too. She knew that her son, despite his young age, blamed himself for Warren's foul mood and aggressive behaviour. He tried to desperately to keep out of the way; never daring to speak unless he had been asked a question, and obeying commands within seconds of them being given. How could somebody like Warren, produce such a wonderful child?

People often complemented Warren and Ariel on their son's behaviour, and whilst that brought a sense of pride, Ariel knew that fear was a key aspect in his obedience; and that, in her eyes at least, seemed wrong.

Entering her and Warren's room, Ariel was surprised to see Warren sat on the bed, pouring himself – what looked to be – _another_ glass of whiskey from the nearly empty bottle. Ariel wondered how much of that her husband had had already. She didn't react when Cory squeezed her hand a little tighter, and instead focused on making herself seem calm, whether that be for Cory's sake or to convince herself she wasn't sure.

"Where have you been?" asked Warren, his voice slippery as his eyes bore down hard on his wife and child. Ariel struggled to hold his gaze, but managed it somehow.

"We were watching the ship leave" she replied truthfully. Her heartrate increased dramatically as Warren scoffed pushing himself off the bed with force and making his way towards her.

"You were with him."

It hadn't been a question, and Warren hadn't specified exactly who ' _he_ ' was, but Ariel knew who he meant. The look in his eyes told her that he already knew; there was no point in lying to him. Yet that's exactly what she found herself doing. She shook her head quickly… too quickly it seemed. Warren shoved her back against the wall, pushing her out of Cory's grasp. She tried to keep a brave face for her son, trying to signal to him without words to go into the other room. But he was petrified, and remained a living statue and his watched his father advance with wide eyes.

Ariel didn't have time to react, because suddenly Warren had gripping her wrist, his body pressing into hers almost painfully.

"Liar!" he accused, "I know you bloody were!"

"Warren please, Cory."

"To hell with Cory, what were you doing?!" yelled Warren, twisting Ariel's arm until she gasped in pain and writhed in his vice-like grip. And he showed no signs of stopping.

"I swear to God Ariel, if you don't tell me I'll…"

"Daddy, stop it!"

Both Ariel and Warren froze, and turned to face their son, fear evident on his sweet face.

"Cory" Ariel said, almost breathlessly, fear taking over every other emotion as Warren continued to scowl at their son, as if he were trying to process what he'd just said. He'd never spoken out against his father before; and for good reason. Even now it was apparent that he wished he'd said nothing at all. But he couldn't stand it, he hated seeing his parents fight, and he hated seeing his mummy get hurt. She had protected him so many times, surely it was time he returned the favour. But he soon realised a flaw in his poorly thought out plan... his mother could take much worse than he could.

It only took a second for Warren to snap.

Warren took several menacing steps towards the toddler, as he backed away, whimpering in fear.

"Warren… Warren don't, please" said Ariel tearfully, trying unsuccessfully to stop him, or to get past and position herself between the two. But Warren's large frame and immense strength meant that she was helplessly stuck behind him, unable to do anything but watch in horror as Cory finally reached the corner and found himself trapped.

Ariel could barely see past the tears in her eyes now, as she begged her husband to stop, only to be thrown back every time she tried to intervene. She couldn't bear her son's cries of fear, and almost screamed herself when Warren brought back his leg and kicked Cory hard in the chest.

Silence.

And then the screams began. The four-year-old's clamorous wails mixed with Warren's incoherent shouting as Ariel pushed her way past her husband, and scrambled across the floor towards her son, gathering him into her arms and turning him away from his father so as to protect him should another attack come. His eyes were screwed tightly shut, his hand clutching at the fabric that covered his upper body as screams ripped from his throat. No amount of soothing from Ariel could calm him at all, and his shallow breaths soon turned to none at all as he used all his energy to push pained screams passed his lips.

"Cory! Cory breathe!" cried Ariel desperately, "breathe sweetheart!"

Too late. The toddler's body went limp in his mother's arms, his screams turning to a single shuddering breath as pain left his unconscious form. Ariel watched intently as his chest began to rise and fall again in a shallow but regular rhythm, and decided that this was best for now.

"Look at me."

Ariel had almost forgotten that Warren was in the room, as absurd as that sounded. Glancing at the boy in her arms, she stood and turned to face Warren with nothing but hate in her eyes.

"How could you?" she said, her voice heated. "How could you do that?"

"He was-"

"No, Warren! He's only a child!"

Warren could do nothing but stare for a moment, unused to Ariel talking back to him in such a way. He narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step towards her, surprised when she stood her ground defiantly and lifted her head high.

"Go on," she said daringly, "hit me, rape me, do whatever you want to me Warren. But don't you dare hurt him, not my son."

Warren glared at her, reaching out the door of what _was_ Cory's room and pulling it open.

"Get in" he spat. But Ariel didn't move, instead simple shook her head and walked across the room to the other door. With lighting fast reactions, Warren sped to the bedside table and yanked the draw open before pulling something out and turning to Ariel.

"Stop!" he commanded, his voice so loud that Ariel was sure the entire ship could hear him. Ariel turned to him, only to freeze on the spot, her eyes growing wide and she took in the scene in front of her.

In Warren's hands was a gun, pointed directly at her and Cory. She drew her son back instantly, trying to shield him with her own body. How Warren had gotten a gun was beyond her knowledge, but she knew that as long as she went against his orders now, she was putting both herself and Cory in danger. Warren motioned to the open door again, and this time, Ariel did as she was told, startling as Warren shut the door behind her.

"Don't even think of trying to escape" he said menacingly, locking the door from his side.

Ariel fumbled around for a light switch, and lit the room with a dim light, trying to process the scattered thoughts which flew around her head. The slamming of another door followed by a deafening silence told Ariel that Warren had left the other room. She flew around, desperately pushing and pulling at the door to try and free herself; only to run across to the other door and try a similar tactic there.

Both were locked.

Laying Cory down gently on his bed, Ariel began searching the draws for a key; but she should've known she wouldn't find one. Warren had made sure that there was no way out. She thought about calling for help, but with Warren in the possession of a gun, she knew that it was too risky. Defeated, she sat down heavily on the bed, staring down at the floor with unseeing eyes before her attention quickly returned to her son.

Cory's breathing had levelled out, yet still hitched every so often. His cheeks were still damp with tears, and Ariel gingerly wiped her thumb under his closed eyes.

Warren had never _hurt_ Cory before.

He'd threatened to, gripped him tighter than he should and made him cry on more than one occasion; but he'd never actually _hurt_ him. But now he'd done it once, he'd do it again. Now that Ariel knew he wouldn't hesitate to strike Cory, she realised just how serious a threat her husband had become. How he'd first trapped her, and given her no way of escape before unleashing himself upon her and her son. She had to end it; somehow she simply had to, and she'd do whatever it took to free them both from his clutches. She had to.

Her next thought drew a broken sob past her lips.

Eric.

Not only had he been right all along; but he was now in terrible danger, all because of her. If Warren found him, or he started asking questions, then who knows what Warren might do to him. Much worse than he'd done to her, she feared.

A soft whimper to her left caught her attention, and she turned to see Cory's eyes flicker open. Eyes so full of pain and sadness that Ariel swore she could feel her heart shattering. The toddler shifted his position, his face screwing up as he began to sob once again. This time, Ariel promised herself, she'd be calmer; it would be easier to stop him panicking if she herself acted less frantically. Shushing him, she proceeded to pick him up, something which obviously caused the four year old a huge amount of pain, for he cried out and brought his hands up to his lower chest again. Ariel noted the movement with concern, and sat him ever so carefully upon her lap, rubbing small circles on his back as he cried.

"It's alright darling, it's okay; mummy's got you" she whispered soothingly, kissing the top of his head.

"It hurts!" he whimpered, his voice quiet and raspy, the result of crying so much.

"I know, I know, but you're being so brave Cory, I'm so proud of you."

Ariel suspected that he son had fractured, maybe even broken several ribs. After all, his bones were still young, and the power with which Warren had kicked him had seemed enough to break the bones of even the strongest of men.

Never again; she promised herself. Never again would she let Warren hurt her son. If she'd only been braver then none of this would have happened. If she'd listened to Eric then they would both be out of Warren's reach by now. They'd be safe.

But as it was, they found themselves more trapped than they'd ever been before, with physical barriers between themselves and the freedom that both mother and child so desperately craved. How long Warren would keep them in here was beyond Ariel's knowledge, but she knew that they'd be stuck until Warren had a long term solution to keep them away from Eric… away from happiness it seemed.

It was only going to get worse.


	10. Chapter IX

Ariel glanced at the clock again. Half past two it read, meaning that it had been almost a day since Warren had locked her and Cory in their room. She had heard him come and go plenty of times, but he never once checked in on them. Neither of them had eaten in almost twenty four hours, something that was causing Cory more discomfort than it was Ariel. She had no appetite, whereas he was a growing boy.

Of course she had thought about calling for help; but Warren had made his intentions painfully obvious should either of them make their predicament known to anyone else on board.

This time he wouldn't just be _kicking_ Cory in the chest.

The en suite bathroom meant that they still had water, but food was a necessity, and Cory was growing restless, both from hunger and the constant pain that his ribs were causing him.

It surprised Ariel that nobody had knocked on the door; Cory spent so much time crying that someone must realise that something's wrong. Then again, even if they had, Warren would have made sure that they kept themselves to themselves, claiming that everything was fine, lest anybody find out what was really going on between himself, and his wife and son.

Ariel had tried to distract her Cory with games and stories, which kept him occupied most of the time; but he was only a child, and Ariel often found herself too lost in her own thoughts to come up with anything original.

Surely someone would notice their absence… wouldn't they? And even if they didn't, the room would be cleaned by staff once they reached America, someone would find them then, if Warren hadn't already let them out. This would all be over in a few days, and when it was, Ariel was determined to have people see Warren for what he truly was…

A monster…

And then she'd be free.

* * *

Eric found himself almost gagging as a dense cloud of tobacco settled around him, the aroma choking his lungs of fresh air. He didn't smoke, nor did he understand the desire to do so. If his associates weren't so demanding, then he'd never have set foot in the smoke room at all; but it seemed that none of the men could manage to go five minutes without a cigarette between his lips. Eric sat stiffly at a low circular table, surrounded by over half a dozen of his business partner's, suppressing the coughs that tickled his dry throat, and wondering how many years had been taken off of his life whilst he'd been sat there. He was the only one out of the nine men who wasn't smoking, and wasn't entirely sure why he needed to be there at all.

After the Titanic had left Queenstown yesterday, it wasn't going to be stopping again until it reached America, meaning that Eric didn't have a way to escape these gatherings.

The smoke was already giving him a headache, and after turning his attention back to the discussion, it became apparent that he wasn't needed. Each man was merely boasting about how much money their respective businesses had earned over the last month, and how much more they were expected to earn after obtaining American business partners. Eric sighed and rose to his feet.

"Excuse me" he said, turning away before anyone could stop him. Although not quickly enough so that he didn't hear the mutters which followed his departure. He didn't have to listen, for he'd heard it all before. They all regarded him as nothing more than a child, because that's what he was to them. He was at least thirty years younger than every other man who associated themselves with him; because he was growing up with his father's generation. The only people he knew well who were his own age were Ariel and Warren, but he hardly saw them anymore either. His life was becoming lonelier than he could have ever imagined, and whilst he often sought out isolation to escape the stress of running a major business, it wasn't how he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

Returning to his room, the young Lord sat alone on the edge of his double bed, dropping his head into his hands; the situation that Ariel was in continued to haunt him. From what he knew, she wanted desperately to escape Warren, but was afraid of the consequences that it would bring to herself and to her son. Eric knew that if he wanted to help, then he would have to tread carefully, lest Warren harm Ariel in any way.

He needed to find a way of restraining Warren in the knowing mind that there was no way for him to reach Ariel or Cory; but in order to have him restrained he would have to prove himself a threat, which might be a problem. From his limited knowledge of the man, Eric was certain that he made an effort to keep any abusive behaviour behind closed doors, out of sight. He shuddered; not wanting to think about what was going on when no one was around.

Perhaps he should have been more stubborn when the ship docked in Ireland, perhaps he should have stood up to Warren when he had demanded that Eric got him tickets, perhaps he should've been braver after buying Ariel an engagement ring. If he'd been braver and proposed to her the way he would've liked to then they'd be together. They wouldn't be in this situation. He'd be able to protect her without fear that Warren would respond.

It was at that moment that realisation slammed into Eric.

This was entirely his fault.

It was because of his cowardice that Ariel was in danger.

He could've ended this before it had started; the opportunity to do so had presented itself on more than one occasion, yet he'd never taken it. Instead, he'd simply waited until it was too late.

He remembered their wedding day, a ceremony which Warren had assisted he attended; and act of spite more than anything else. Eric had caught Ariel's eye as she and Warren shared their first kiss as a married couple, and even then he could see how frightened she was. They had exchanged similar glances throughout the ceremony, and afterwards, yet Warren never let Ariel leave his side, and lead her away whenever Eric looked to be approaching. Almost as if he were dangling her in front of him, so that he was aware that she was out of his reach now.

Since then, Eric had never experienced feelings towards another woman, despite Grimsby's best efforts to set him up with someone. On more than one occasion Eric had returned home to find a young lady sat drinking tea in his living room, having been invited for dinner by the old servant. These women were usually the daughters of Eric's business partners or fellow Lord's and Lady's, who were interested in meeting him for only one reason.

Money.

Eric hadn't yet met a girl, aside from Ariel, who had actually taken an interest into his interests; the only thing they seemed to care about was the fact that he lived in a manor house, and that his business was one of the most profitable organisations in the South of England. They didn't love him, and he certainly hadn't felt anything for them. Yet he was forced to spend time with them out of politeness more than anything; after all, they had made the effort to come and see him, it would be rude to send them away without at least talking for a while.

But he'd never clicked with any of them, and deep down he knew he never would. Most men his age were marriage by now, or at least in a serious relationship. He wasn't, and for no other reason than that he'd let the woman he loved be taken from him.

Not anymore, he decided.

Eric was going to help Ariel escape if it killed him; something which he knew was entirely possible. But he didn't care. This was his fault, and it was his duty to make it right again. He had a vague plan in his head; and although it posed a high possibility of injury, it would work, and that was a risk Eric was willing to take.

If Warren was to be restrained, someone was going to have to get hurt; and it certainly wasn't going to be Ariel or Cory.


	11. Chapter X

For the second night in a row, Eric noticed that neither Ariel nor Warren were present for dinner. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Ariel since the ship had docked in Ireland. Of course, the Titanic was huge, and she could be anywhere; but it was strange that he hadn't even seen her once considering that their rooms were on the same deck, and at the same end of the ship. He had knocked on the door to Ariel and Warren's room before dinner again, but there had been no answer, not even from Cory's nursemaid, something which struck Eric as odd, as he…

"Eric?"

His attention was caught by the man opposite him, and it soon became apparent that ever set of eyes at the table were on him now. How long had they been trying to get his attention?

"Sorry, I beg your pardon?" he replied, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly and causing a couple of the people at his table to snigger. He was dining with the same group of men who he had earlier been in the smoke room with, and their wives. Some even had children, though they were Eric's age, some slightly older.

As it turns out, all they wanted to know was what he wanted to drink with his meal, to which he replied as he always did. "Just water, please."

Despite having people close to his own age, he was still the only one who didn't care for alcohol, something which most if his associates seemed unable to comprehend. Smoking and drinking was second nature to most of them, whereas Eric felt sick after only a sip of alcohol, or merely being in the same room as a smoker, as had become evident earlier today. He was painfully out of place among these types of people, and often wished that he'd been born into a working class family, just so he'd have half a chance at living a normal life.

Losing Ariel had been the tipping point in his life; the moment when he'd realised that didn't really have a purpose. Having no children of his own meant that the business would be sold once he was no longer capable of running it; and even if he did have children, he wouldn't have wanted them to take control of it anyway. It tied you down, he'd learnt that already. Perhaps he could sell the business now, move away and start again? But deep down he knew he'd never be able to do that. he'd never be able to let her go that easily.

It was then that Eric noticed a familiar figure outside the restaurant, unmoving, but staring right at him it seemed. He averted his gaze, but continued to watch Warren out the corner of his eye.

Half way into the meal and he still hadn't moved; something which Eric found unnerving as he moved his food around his plate, having long since lost his appetite. There was something going on, and Eric intended to find out exactly what. He realised that there was no way he wouldn't have seen Ariel since yesterday afternoon if she'd been continuing her normal routine. Something, or more likely someone, had forced her to change what she did on a daily basis, and if she was in any sort of danger then Eric was going to put an end to it as soon as he could.

It wasn't until over an hour had passed, that Warren finally left. Eric waited until the meal had finished, before heading back to his room. As he neared the stairs, he spied Warren getting out of the elevator, and quickly moved behind a nearby pillar. It hadn't been a conscious discussion, but now that he had a better idea of the sort of man Warren was, he had to admit that he felt slightly threatened by him.

"Warren? I didn't know you were on this voyage, good to see you old friend!"

It wasn't a voice that Eric recognised, though he was surprised that someone considered Warren a friend.

"Is Ariel not with you?"

"She's in her room, with Cory."

Eric could have cried out with relief, and had to bite his lip to stop himself from doing so. As the two men bid each other farewell, Eric stayed in his hiding spot for another few minutes before finally daring to move. He practically ran down to Ariel's room, and knocked on the door.

No answer.

He knocked again.

"Ariel, are you in there, it's Eric!" he called.

No answer.

Had Warren been lying?

Eric was in the process of walking around to Cory's room, thinking that perhaps she was with him, when he noticed Warren again. This time stood at the end of the hallway, talking to one of the men who Eric had just shared dinner with. The man pointed in his direction and, wasting no time, Eric sped in the opposite direction, and round the corner to the hallway where his own room was, hoping that he hadn't been spotted. He could feel his heart hammering against his chest, and idly wondered whether it could be heard. For some reason, he felt the need to keep away from Warren; it almost seemed as though he was chasing him.

It was easy to keep track of Warren's whereabouts from so near by, even without being able to see him; his heavy footsteps gave Eric a good idea as to how close he was. He heard a door unlocking, and then closing again as Warren's footsteps came to a sudden stop. Out of curiosity, Eric took a quick glance round the corner, only to notice that Warren was no longer in the hallway. It wasn't until he neared Cory's room that he realised where he'd gone. The sound of muffled voices sounded through to door of room A11, becoming clearer the closer Eric got.

"Warren please he only a child, he's starving, he hasn't eaten…"

"Shut up!"

Eric jumped slightly at Warren's outburst as he tried to make sense of what was being said. There was silence, before Warren spoke again.

"Has Eric been here?"

There was a certain menace to his voice that told Eric he secretly hoped that he had.

More silence; this time for much longer.

Eric fell backwards as soon as the door handle moved, and he had to scramble to his feet before hurrying once again round the corner. The door slammed, and Warren's heavy footsteps sounded again, but this time, they were getting louder. Eric's eyes widened as he took off back towards the stairs, thankful for the large group of people who exited their rooms behind him.

The young Lord ran down several flights of stairs, knowing that he was much faster than Warren had he been seen. He soon found himself on C deck, which mainly consisted of seconds class cabins. The twenty four year old stopped to catch his breath, and leant against the wall as he tried to collect his thoughts.

It was obvious now that he thought about it. Warren had Ariel and Cory locked away. But why; so they couldn't interfere with his plans? It had become apparent that the older man was in fact _hunting_ Eric, with every intention of hurting him; Eric had no doubt about that.

The fact that Ariel and Cory had been locked up since yesterday afternoon made Eric's heart ache. He should've known they were in trouble, yet he'd done absolutely nothing about it. _Not anymore_ , he decided, he was going to get them out, and he was going to do it without Warren getting in the way.

He wouldn't let him hurt them… never again.

A hand on his shoulder caused Eric to jump back in surprise, and spin round, only to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sorry," he said to the woman, "you startled me."

"That's alright love; I think I'm the one who should be apologising. I was just wondering if you were alright."

"Fine, thank you" replied Eric as his breathing levelled out again. It was then that he realised he'd seen this woman before, but he couldn't quite remember exactly where. "I'm sorry, have we met?" he asked, furrowing his brow as if deep in concentration.

"Not properly, I was talking to your friend yesterday, Ariel, her name was" said the woman.

Yesterday; it seemed like so much longer than a day since Eric had last spoken to Ariel. Although, it had probably seemed longer from Ariel's perspective if Warren had been keeping her locked up all this time. He couldn't bear to think about it, but he couldn't help himself; and every time he did, he only ended up hating himself more.

"Eric, isn't it?"

The woman's voice broke him from his thoughts once again, and he nodded.

"That's right, it's nice to meet you" he replied calmly, though his brain was working at a million miles an hour. It surprise him that he could even form sentences after the revelation he'd just witnessed.

"It's nice to meet you too, I'm Edith."

Again, Eric nodded, trying once again to wrap his head around things, but to no avail. With Ariel and Cory in such a vulnerable position, it made it much more difficult to help them, especially seeing as Warren seemed to have formulated a plan of his own now. Eric sighed, bringing his hand up to his head, and raking his fingers through his hair.

He needed to get them out of their room, and away from Warren; but then he needed to have a safe place for them to stay until he could sort Warren out, without denying them the freedom that had been taken away from them over the last twenty four hours or so.

"Is something wrong love? Can I help with anything?" A gentle hand on Eric's arm drew his gaze to Edith. Her face kind, loving even, it seemed; a face that reminded him of his mother's. And then it hit him, a new layer to his plan. A place that Warren wouldn't think to look unless he searched every single room on the ship; and that would buy Eric enough time to carry out part two.

"Edith," he began, "can ask a favour of you?"


	12. Chapter XI

Ariel sat beside her sleeping son, her slender fingers moving easily through his red locks. This was the first time she'd been able to get him to sleep since Warren attacked him, mainly because the constant pain in his chest kept him awake and prevented him from getting comfortable enough to rest. As a result, Ariel hadn't slept a wink either, deciding to stay alert in case Warren returned, so that she might protect her son in a way she failed to last time. The clock read one o'clock, the start of their third day as prisoners.

There was, however, one piece of knowledge that Ariel clung to, something which had so far kept her going. And that was that Eric had managed to so far avoid Warren. Her husband had entered the room yesterday evening asking her of Eric's whereabouts, which meant that Eric was safe… for now.

Ariel sighed, putting her left hand to her head. She felt so dizzy, both from hunger and exhaustion, and was certain that she would collapse at any moment. But that realisation that Cory probably felt the same was much worse.

Just as she was beginning to doubt her ability to remain conscious, there came the sound of a key turning in the lock. Ariel froze, her heart pounding inside her chest as she debated whether to stand up and face her no doubt drunken husband, or to lie down and pretend that she too was asleep. As her mind raced, the door opened, and Ariel instinctively cowered back, eyes widening as she brought her hands up to somehow protect herself before she froze again.

"Eric?" she gasped, her voice coming to nothing but a whisper. She was seeing things, she must be. She'd been hearing things yesterday; she could've sworn she'd heard him calling out to her, though had quickly convinced herself that it was merely a figment of her imagination. She blinked hard, before leaping to her feet and stumbling towards him as he closed the door behind him.

Eric caught her with ease, supporting her slight weight as her legs practically gave out under her and hugged her close to his chest.

"Ariel, are you alright? What's wrong? What's he done to you?" asked Eric hurriedly, grasping her shoulders and holding her now in front of him so as to get a better look at her.

"Nothing, nothing I'm fine" she said tearfully, looking up at Eric, his face a mask of worry. With a broken sob, she fell against him again, burying her face against his chest as she cried; cried for her son and the situation they were both in, cried for Eric, tears of hurt and regret that had been pushed down for too long. With Eric's strong arms around her she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she felt safe, even knowing the danger that they were in.

Lifting her head again, this time with weary eyes, she spoke again, stumbling over her words as an exhaustion like no other seized her.

"How… h-how did you…?"

"The tickets are still under my name," replied Eric, noting Ariel's weariness with concern, "all I had to do was ask for the spare key."

"But Warren, Eric if he finds out that you…"

"It doesn't matter," Eric cut her off. "I'll keep you safe Ariel, I swear, I'll never let him hurt you again."

Ariel broke down in tears all over again. Those were the words she needed to hear, the words she'd wanted to hear for so many years now. She threw her arms around Eric's neck, her head falling to rest on his shoulder, tears soaking into his shirt as she wept.

"I knew you'd come" she whispered.

"I'm sorry it took me so long." There was an element of regret in Eric's voice that Ariel had never heard in anyone before; a way in which he held her that told her he had no intentions of letting her go. And for that, she was glad, and indescribably grateful, for in this moment she wanted nothing more than to stay with him, to have him chase away her fears in a way in which she knew only he was capable of.

"Come on," he said, "I know somewhere safe where you and Cory can stay."

At the mention of her son's name, Ariel's attention was drawn to where his slumbering form lay, his face still contorted in pain as he slept. With slow steps she made her way to her son's side, tears spilling constantly from her blue eyes.

"He hurt him," she said, looking back to Eric momentarily, "Eric, he hurt Cory."

"He'll be okay," said Eric reassuringly. "We'll get help, I'll ask the doctor to come to us. But we have to go now Ariel, before Warren comes back."

Ariel nodded, and ever so gently bent down to pick up her son. However, as soon as she began lifting him, it became clear that the pain could be felt despite his extreme tiredness. The four year old stirred and let out a few spluttered cries as Ariel tried to adjust him to a more comfortable position. But alas, the movement had caused him great pain, and Ariel hands trembled with fear and exhaustion as she struggled to support her son, causing him to scream out.

A heartbroken sob left Ariel's lips as she realised that she was doing nothing to ease the pain, but was instead merely making it worse. The gentle touch of Eric's hand upon her forearm stopped her, and she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Ariel let me take him" he offered, decided not to move unless Ariel agreed. She did, with a few nods of her head, and carefully handed her son to Eric. There was no way to move him that wouldn't hurt, but his sobbing turned to soft whimpers as soon as Eric's arms were around him as confusion and surprise lessened the pain slightly. The only person – save for his father – who had held him before was his mother. Her arms had always provided him with comfort, but for some reason, he felt safer in Eric's arms. It wasn't that he didn't feel safe in Ariel's arms, but it had been proven long ago that even within her grasp, he wasn't safe from his father's wrath. Eric's arms felt stronger, more capable of protecting him. Even Ariel relaxed considerably once Eric had hold of Cory, knowing that his strength far surpassed her own. The sight also brought fresh tears to her eyes, for she had never seen anyone hold her son with such care, not unless she was looking in a mirror.

Eric held Cory with his left arm, propping him against his hip and allowing his head to lull against his shoulder. He took Ariel's hand in his, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Stay with me, okay? Do you need to bring anything?"

Ariel paused for a moment and then looked around the room, her eyes coming to rest on Cory's stuffed bear. She rushed over a picked it up before returning to Eric's side and taking his hand once again, drawing herself closer to him.

Eric made sure to lock the door once they were out, and cautiously peered around the corner into the corridor. Because of the early hour, there wasn't a person in sight, nor was there a sound to be heard, making the ship seem eerily lifeless. He led the way, moving swiftly so as not to jolt Cory, who seemed to have fallen asleep against his shoulder, and pulled Ariel along behind him, who seemed to be stumbling more and more frequently.

By the time they made it to C-deck she could barely stay upright, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. Eric turned around the face her, his brow furrowed in worry as he noted that she was having a hard time just keeping her eyes open.

"Hang on, we're nearly there, you can do it" he said encouragingly.

Ariel nodded, though she was seriously beginning to doubt herself.

"I feel really dizzy" she said weakly, her frame trembling as she fought desperately to overcome the sense of vertigo that had not long ago consumed her. Tears clouded her vision as she continued alongside Eric, his arm around her waist now so as to support her. They both knew that no matter what, they simply couldn't afford to stop, lest Warren find them, and heaven knows what he'd do to them then. She hadn't a clue where they were heading, but trusted Eric with all her heart.

But when Eric knocked on the door or a second class cabin, even she was surprised. The door opened after a second, by a figure blurred by sheer exhaustion.

Eric knew that he didn't have much time, and so carefully handed Cory to Edith as soon as the door was open, stepping in and pulling Ariel in behind him. By now she was relying almost completely on him to support her, her eyes glassy and unfocused as she stared down at the floor. The moment her body went limp. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed, lying her down beside her son. Had either been any bigger then there wouldn't have been enough room, but thanks to Cory's young age, and Ariel's slender and petite figure, they fitted perfectly. He removed her shoes and pulled the covers up under her chin, gingerly tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ears and wiping his thumb across her tear stained cheeks.

"Is there anything I can do?" queried Edith, her worry for the young woman and her son having magnified upon their arrival.

Eric sighed.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully, "I think it would be a good idea to just let them rest for now." He turned to face the Irish woman, gratitude clear in his eyes.

"Edith I can't thank you enough; I don't know what I would've done if…"

"Don't worry about it love, it's my pleasure" she said, interrupting him. "The rooms yours for as long as you need it, I can share with my sister. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Eric watched as Edith left the room, walking over to the door and glancing out into the corridor to ensure that she was able to get into her sisters room alright. She was let in almost immediately, leaving Eric to shut and lock the door to, what was now his, Ariel and Cory's room, behind him.

Edith's room was much smaller than those on A-deck, consisting of not much more than a small bed, a sofa, a wardrobe, and a mirror. But it was enough; enough to keep them safe for a while at least. Eric made his way to the sofa and sat down, not contempt to allow himself to sleep nor let his guard down in the slightest way.

"It'll be okay, you'll see," he said quietly, keeping his eyes fixated upon Ariel's sleeping form, "you're safe now."


	13. Chapter XII

Ariel awoke slowly, to the sound of faint voices. They seemed so far off at first that she couldn't help but wonder if she were dreaming. Her blue eyes flickered open slightly, and she squinted against the dim light. What had happened? She could just about make out a figure sat in front of her… wait no… two figures… three figures? She tried to shift her weight, only to find herself paralysed by the resilient hold of sleep. Wait a second… sleep?! No, she can't have fallen asleep, she promised herself she wouldn't; she had to protect Cory!

Ariel groaned, murmuring incoherent words as she tried fruitlessly to sit up. Her eyes widened as a tall figure stepped towards her. Warren!

"N-no" she cried weakly, closing her eyes and bringing her hands up to her face, pathetically hitting out to protect herself. Her hands were soon caught, and held by much bigger hands. She whimpered in fear, fully expecting Warren to lash out at her. She began to cry, tearfully muttering apologies.

"Ariel! Ariel stop, it's me… its Eric."

Ariel's breath hitched at those words, and she slowly opened her eyes. Sure enough, she was met by a pair of kind, worried blue eyes that could belong to one person only.

"Eric?"

Her vision was still blurred, and she couldn't quite make out the room around her. Where was she? How did she get here? Again she tried to push herself up, this time helped by the man sat beside her. Her head fell as soon as she was sat up, as though her neck were too weak a support. Eric propped up the pillows behind her and helped her back so she could lean against them.

"No… Eric p-please, don't… don't go" stammered Ariel, mistaking his action. She attempted to move forward, to hold Eric and keep him by her side, but merely succeeded in slumping against him.

"Careful," he said softly, slowly pushing her back. "I'm not going anywhere, don't worry" he told her, certain that he was doing enough worrying for them both at the moment. Ariel was much weaker than she had been last night, something which was now accompanied by apparent confusion and a deep-rooted fear, the latter of which was perfectly understandable. Her eyes was unfocused, yet darted round the room at a speed Eric found almost difficult to keep up with. He suspected that it was largely down to hunger that she seemed so delirious, and perhaps also due to extreme stress.

It was currently just after midday, eleven hours after Eric had brought Ariel and Cory to Edith's room. Cory had awoken just a few hours ago with severe chest pains. Eric had immediately called for the ship's medic, not telling him the exact circumstances of their situation out of fear that he would be manipulated by Warren, and sworn him to secrecy should the brute come to him. Eric's status did have some advantages, though he preferred not to use them unless absolutely necessary. This time however, the occasion presented itself perfectly.

"Eric, Cory! Wh-where's Cory?"

Eric's attention was suddenly drawn by the sound of Ariel's weak but desperate voice, as she clung to his hand. The fear in her eyes was evident immediately, and the young Lord sought to ease her worry.

"He's alright Ariel, he's just here; see?" He motioned to the sofa against the opposite wall, where Cory sat watching his mother, a few storybooks spread around him. "I called Doctor O'Loughlin, he said Cory looks to have a few cracked ribs but he should be fine in a matter of weeks, alright?" Eric spoke slowly so as to clearly convey the information to Ariel, who just nodded her head slightly, tears welling in her blue eyes.

Eric swore he could feel his heart being torn to pieces as the sight of her despair. She had been forced to stay strong too long, every day breaking a little bit more, yet never able to show exactly how she felt. She'd never been able to cry, and know that somebody would be there to comfort her… not until now.

She dropped her head to her hands, her frame being wracked by the broken sobs that tore from her being. She was beyond her limits, frightened beyond what she had ever thought possible, yet ever so grateful for what Eric was doing for her and her son.

All Eric could do was hold her as she clung to him, her hands balling into fists around the fabric of his shirt. He had deposited his jacket around Cory's shoulders earlier when he had woken up shivering, the entirely too big garment providing the toddler with some amusement.

After almost an hour, Ariel's cries died down, her breath hitching every few seconds as she continued to rest her head against Eric's chest. Her eyes remained tightly shut as she tried to savour the moment, knowing that I could too soon come to an end. Perhaps it was all a dream, and she'd wake up to Warren's rough hands as he climbed into bed beside her.

The thought made her cry out, and she sat bolt upright, pushing Eric away as she did.

The two were nothing alike; Eric and Warren. But for so long Warren's behaviour had been all she'd known, making her fearful of all men, for she feared that they were all like him, despite knowing that that wasn't the case.

Eric watched as she came back to herself, not daring to move in case he only made things worse. She seemed to be noticing for the first time that she wasn't in her own room, and looked to Eric for answers.

"Second class," he said, "do you remember Edith, the woman you spoke to when we docked in Ireland?"

Ariel nodded, still looking around the room.

Eric continued. "This is her room, she said we could have it until the ship arrives in America. You'll be safe here, I promise."

Again Ariel nodded, now becoming very aware of her upcoming headache, something which Eric seemed to notice straight away, and wasted no time in voicing his concern. She replied weakly, sinking back against the pillows.

"I'll get you some painkillers," said Eric, "and something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Ariel's voice sounded weary, decreasing in volume as she began to feel immensely tired, her head painful enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Her reply caught Eric by surprise, for he had expected her to be starving after nearly two full days with nothing to eat. But he suspected that perhaps her sudden migraine was to blame for her lack of appetite. Either way, she needed to eat something, or risk becoming sick.

"Just something small," suggested Eric, "maybe a soup?"

Ariel seemed to think about the proposition for a while, but finally nodded, turning to Cory who remained sat on the sofa, her eyes focused on his mother. Ariel reached out a hand to him.

Seeing that Cory was about to attempt to move towards his mother, Eric lifted him carefully over to the bed, placing him beside Ariel. He winced in pain, but seemed better able to handle it now. Doctor O'Loughlin had wrapped his chest in tight bandages to restrict movement, something which seemed to be helping him, even if it were only slightly. Ariel seemed to notice the change, and wrapped her arms around her boy, rubbing his back gently as he positioned himself against her.

Eric smiled at the sight, chuckling lightly as Cory reached out towards the jacket that had slipped from his shoulders. He handed in back to the four year old, and stood up, starting towards the door to fetch lunch for the two of them.

"I won't be long," he said, "stay here, don't answer the door I'll lock it behind me."

"What? No! No, Eric you can't!" Ariel began to panic, pushing herself up on shaky arms and pulling the covers back as she sought to go to him.

The young Lord was quick to stop her, and was back as her side in two quick strides. She held his hand in both of hers and stared deep into his eyes as he tried to comfort her, placing his free hand on her shoulder. She merely shook her head.

"You can't," she said, her voice coming to nothing but a whisper as she struggled to fight back fresh tears. "Don't leave us, don't lock us up Eric, please!"

"Ariel I'll come back, I'll only be five minutes, I swear."

"No! Eric if Warren sees you… he'll know… he'll know it was you… he'll kill you Eric" sobbed Ariel, clutching his hand as if her own life depended upon it.

Eric moved his hand from Ariel's shoulder to her cheek, using his thumb to gingerly brush away her tears and he cupped her face in his hand.

"Ariel listen to me" he said softly, lifting her head slightly so that their eyes met. "I'll be careful, alright? I won't leave you, never again. Five minutes Ariel, that's all, but I need you to trust me."

Ariel body trembled slightly as she gazed longingly at Eric, trying to silently convey to him that he should stay here, but knowing deep down that that wasn't an option; they needed to eat. She looked down to Cory, and then slowly back to Eric.

"I trust you" she said quietly.

Eric smiled, kissing her hand as he had done so many times in the past, before rising to his feet and leaving the room, taking a wistful glance back towards Ariel before he closed the door, triple checking that it was locked behind him.

He sighed as he walked away. Ariel was right he couldn't keep them behind a closed door for much longer, they'd spent enough time locked up already. But Warren was too much of a threat, he couldn't risk him finding them. Plan B had been to keep them in Edith's room until the ship reached America, and then avoid Warren and get Ariel and Cory back to England safely; but perhaps plan A was still in contention after all.

Only time would tell, and Eric knew that he didn't have much of it.


	14. Chapter XIII

Cory felt a twinge of fear as several minutes passed and Eric still hadn't returned. He sat up, staring as the closed door as if willing it to open.

"It's alright Cory," said Ariel weakly, "he'll be back soon."

The sound of his mother's voice drew Cory's eyes to her, for she sounded wearier than she ever had before, and that worried the toddler. He took in the way her eyes stayed only half open, how her head lulled to the forward and her arms remained limp at her sides. How he longed to be held in those arms, for her to tell him that everything was going to be okay. Times like these scared him, for no other reason than that his mother, the one person in the world he could trust, was unable to keep him safe should something happen.

"What if daddy hurt's him?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

His mother's silence brought tears to his eyes, and the room suddenly felt far too small. What if Eric never came back? What if his father found them?

The four year old could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Being around his father had once frightened him more than anything, but it was nothing compared to the fear he felt at the thought that Eric might not come back. The thought that they'd been so close to freedom, to happiness, just to have it taken away again was too much for him to bear.

With a heartbroken sob he lowered himself to the floor, wincing at the pain in his chest as it brushed against the edge of the bed. As soon as his feet touched the floor he rushed over to the door, reaching up as high as he could to grip the door handle and pulling at it furiously.

"Cory, darling it's alright, just wait, please" begged Ariel, afraid that Warren might pass by and recognise his son's cries, or that Cory might hurt himself further. She pushed away the bedsheets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, the sudden movement making her feel dizzy. She knew her son couldn't fully understand their situation, and she had no doubt that he was even more afraid than her, but what hurt most was that she couldn't comfort him, at least not nearly as well as she knew he needed her to. She didn't have the strength to be the person he needed her to be anymore.

"Let me out!" screamed Cory, banging on the door with small fists.

"No! Cory don't, sweetheart you need to be quiet" said Ariel in a hushed voice, tears coming to her eyes as she was forced to listen to Cory's distress.

* * *

Eric walked silently down the corridor back towards Ariel and Cory, a tray of food in each hand. Edith walked alongside him, having accompanied him to fetch lunch, serving as a sort of lookout for the young Lord, so that she could get word to Ariel and Cory should anything happen.

"You mustn't worry too much," she said, a motherly tone to her voice. "This'll all pass, you'll see."

Eric sighed, nodding to show that he'd heard, but hardly paying attention to the woman beside him. His mind was running on autopilot at this point; there was too many things to worry about, too many ways for all of this to end, and most of them would be catastrophic if he didn't play his cards right. As time passed it had become apparent that Eric would have to conduct any plan he had with perfect precision, and the more he thought about that, the more he began to doubt himself.

As they neared Edith's room, a loud thudding caused Eric to freeze. The scream that followed was what rebooted him. He thrust the trays into Edith's hands and ran to the door, fumbling around with the key.

"Ariel!" he called, if for no other reason than to reassure her that he was there. But it didn't take him long to realise that the screams weren't coming from her.

Eric threw the door open, fearing the worst, and startled as something brushed past his leg. He turned to see Cory stumbling away from him, tears streaming down his face. It only took Eric a moment to rush after him, managing to catch up quickly given Cory's young age and injured body.

He rounded the four year old and knelt down in front of him, catching him before he could go any further.

"Cory, it's alright! It's okay" he said, his hands on the child's shoulders.

Cory just continued to cry, but stopped trying to get away, instead just standing with his hands wiping the constant flow of tears from his cheeks, staring up at the older man with wide frightened eyes

"I want to go home" he sobbed hopelessly.

Eric was left speechless, unable to think of a single thing to say that would be of any comfort to the boy. He couldn't help the guilt that overcame him. After all, he was the reason they were here, this entire trip was his doing.

"Cory listen," he said softly, lifting Cory's head gently by the chin. "I'll make everything better, okay? I'll take you and your mummy home."

If Cory had heard, he didn't make any indication to suggest so, and so Eric stood up slowly, holding his hand out to the four year old. Cory glanced at the outstretched hand for a moment before turning his eyes upwards to Eric and holding out his arms with a sob.

Seconds later he found himself surrounded by a pair of strong and loving arms as he was carried back to where Edith was trying to calm a hysterical Ariel.

Her eyes rested upon her son and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile gracing her lips.

It didn't take Eric long to realise his mistake.

He sat down on the sofa, Cory still in his arms, and sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "I didn't think."

Ariel just shook her head.

"It doesn't matter, you did what you had to. You've done so much for us already Eric, and I'm never going to be able to thank you enough."

Despite Ariel's words Eric still knew that he hadn't done enough. Warren was still out there, and perfectly capable of harming all three of them should look in the right places. It wasn't enough to keep Ariel and Cory away from him, he needed to keep Warren away from them.

An hour later Ariel had managed to eat the bowl of soup Eric had gotten for her, as well as a small bunch of grapes, and was starting to feel much better. She had gained a little of her strength back, enough so that she was able to sit up without assistance from Eric or Edith, who had stayed in the room so that she could take the trays away one Ariel and Cory had finished eating.

Cory hadn't moved from Eric's arms, holding Eric's wrists in place around him as if he were afraid that he would let go. But Ariel knew that he wouldn't let go unless Cory wanted him too; she suspected that Eric was enjoying the comfort just as much as her son was, and perhaps equally as in need of it.

"He's never like that with anyone," stated Ariel, "he's always been too shy."

Eric smiled, but Ariel could clearly see the weariness in his features. Dark circles under his eyes being the only conformation she needed to know that he was working far beyond his capabilities in order to help them.

"You should sleep" she said softly, reaching out and placing a hand on his knee.

Eric began to shake his head, but Edith was quick to silence him.

"The young lass is right love, you need to look after yourself as well, why don't you eat what's left and then get some rest, hey?"

With a little reluctance Eric picked up a sandwich, and chewed on it absentmindedly, the flavours being lost in the sea of worry that was his mind. His free arm still around Cory, holding him in place on his lap as the toddler looked to be falling asleep.

"Cory why don't you come and lie down sweetheart? Try and go back to sleep" suggested Ariel.

This woke Cory up, and he shook his head quickly, red curls bouncing around with each movement.

"I want Eric" he said tearfully, turning back as burying he face against Eric's chest.

Eric instantly felt bad. Yes he'd wanted to provide Cory with the comfort he had no chance of receiving from his own father, but his intentions had never been to take him away from Ariel. Her disappointment was felt by both Eric and Edith, though she did a good job at hiding it.

"I won't go anywhere Cory, but you'll be much more comfortable if you lie down next to your mummy" said Eric, trying to gently persuade the child to spend his time with the woman who had given him so much. Ariel had done more for Cory than Eric ever could, and the young Lord knew that. It was one thing for him to offer Ariel comfort, but it would never be as good as the comfort provided by her own son.

Luckily Cory didn't put up much of a fight, and Eric was able to place him beside Ariel with no fuss. He cuddled up to her, seeming to realise that there was nothing quite like a mother's love.

A series of rhythmic knocks at the door caused the entire room to freeze, and even in sleep, Cory shuffled closer to Ariel. Her eyes held Eric's, and they seemed to be able to speak to each other with only their eyes as Edith got up to answer the door.

In the corridor stood a small boy, perhaps about eleven years of age, who wouldn't have looked out of place in a production of Oliver Twist.

Edith shut the door a moment later, and returned to sit beside Eric.

"Your husband's been spotted on this deck," she told Ariel regretfully. "Thomas there reckons he saw you fetching lunch." This time her comment was directed to Eric, whose face drained of colour at her words.

"Did he follow us?" asked Eric, his voice smaller than Ariel had ever heard in him before.

Edith shook her head.

"No," she replied, "but he's been on this deck _since_ then."

The silence that followed those words was disconcerting and Eric realised something that could very well have dire side-effects.

He was going to have to sort this out today, no questions asked.

But he had a decision to make. He knew that the only way he'd have half a chance against Warren, was to wait until tonight when his drunken state made him clumsy. But, then again, he knew that Warren was stronger when he was drunk, losing all his senses. If he caught Eric, he would kill him, painfully. But Eric knew he was faster, and much more nimble.

If he could outsmart Warren, this might just work.


	15. Chapter XIV

The room was silent, pitch black save for the crack of light that peered in from under the door. Three people lay, still as the darkness that surrounded them, but only two of them lay asleep.

As inviting as sleep sounded, Eric had been lying awake for hours, his mind running around in circles, refusing to rest even if his body demanded just that. He lay still, motionless, letting his mind race whilst the rest of him relaxed, creating the impression of sleep so that if anyone were to come in they would believe it to be true. Of course, Edith was the only one who had access to the room, and she was busy ensuring that her sister, Bertha, was well acquainted to Warren.

Edith had demanded that Eric stayed well out of the way until Warren was barely able to stay upright, and had insisted that her sister was the best person for the task. Apparently she had somewhat of a reputation for being quite friendly in the pub back in Ireland, and had no problem buying drinks for people if it lead to a good time.

Eric hadn't wanted to ask too much into that, but if what Edith had told him was true, Warren would be a wreck by the early hours of the morning.

Wait.

What if Edith was caught? What if Warren worked it out? He'd have access to this room, they'd be in even more danger than they were now and Eric wouldn't stand a chance. He wouldn't be able to protect Ariel and Cory nearly half as well as he wanted to.

Eric's eyes shot open and he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the sofa that he'd been laid on for the past few hours. He had no idea what time it was; Edith had said she'd come and get him once Bertha had done her job. But that would be no good if she couldn't get here.

There were so many ways for this to go wrong. _Too many._

Just as Eric was wondering whether he should go and check on the progress, there came the sound of a key turning in the lock. He held his breath, silently praying that the right person was on the other side of that door. The flooded into the room, momentarily blinding the young Lord as he squinted against the light from the corridor. As soon as it had appeared, the light was gone, and the room plunged into darkness once again.

A small light was turned on beside the sofa, and the room was lit in a dim light as Edith lowered herself to the sofa beside Eric, who breathed an almost silent sigh of relief.

"Now are you sure about this, you know what you're doing?" she asked quietly, not wanting to wake Ariel and Cory, who remained fast asleep on the bed next to them, Cory held protectively in his mother's arms.

"I'm sure," whispered Eric in reply, "is everything ready? Did it go alright?"

Edith nodded, and explained how her sister had found Warren outside the bar, and claimed that she'd known him when they were kids. When he'd denied ever seeing her before she insisted buying him a drink to jog his memory, and glass upon glass of liquor had been consumed from that point on. It seemed to Eric like an odd method of approach, but if it worked it worked.

"The poor dear could barely stand herself by the end of it all" said Edith.

"Will she be alright?" asked Eric, "I mean… she doesn't mind?"

"Not at all, she seemed happy enough. Besides, I've seen her far worse than that lad, that woman could drink for Ireland."

Eric nodded, and Edith could easily notice the weariness in his movements. She would ask if he'd slept but she already knew the answer to that. She sighed, wishing that she was able to help more. She didn't know the exact story behind the three people in her room, only fragments that Eric had decided were important for her to know, but she suspected that is was something tragic. Certain things were easy to pick out, others not so much. The one thing that had struck her immediately was Ariel and Eric's love for one another. She had mistaken them for husband and wife when they'd first met, and she was certain that they both wished her words were true.

"Where are they?" Eric's voice broke her from her thoughts, his blue eyes set upon her as he waited for an answer.

"The promenade at the front of the ship, exactly where you wanted him more or less" she replied. That was another thing Eric hadn't told her, exactly what he was planning to do once he did come to face Warren. He'd simply told her that it was safer if she didn't know, and left it at that.

The twenty four year old stood up, making his way to the door before turning back to Edith.

"Thank you" he said simply, leaving the room before she had a chance to reply.

Oh, how she'd wanted to go with him, to ensure his safety as he had ensured the safety of the young woman and her son who now resided in her room on board this mighty vessel. Eric had insisted that she stayed with Ariel, that it would be too dangerous were Warren to see her with him more than once. And so she was forced to sit here and wait.

She had told her nephew Thomas to keep an eye on things from a distance, and to inform her immediately should Eric look any less than in control of the situation.

She trusted the boy, having spent the last five years caring for him after his mother had died. His father had left them two years before that, and since then his mother had deteriorated into a deep depression which eventually led her to claim her own life.

Edith was ashamed of her brother for leaving his family, just because times were tough, but they had been in correspondence recently and he had informed her that he was ready to be a better father. That's why they were here, taking the trip to America to see her brother, and Thomas's father. Bertha had insisted on coming simply to talk some sense into her younger brother.

Edith was the youngest of the three, but so far in life had proved to be the most intelligent and certainly the most maternal, despite being unable to have children of her own; perhaps that's why she wanted to help this family so badly. Because she could see a loving father and husband in Eric who had never had the chance to prove himself. Because she saw in Eric what she soon hoped to see in her brother. The father that Thomas deserved.

The rustling of bedsheets caught her attention, and she turned to see Ariel's eyes blinking open, full of confusion as she worked out what was going on around her.

"Where's Eric?" she asked, her voice so quiet Edith could barely hear her.

"He's gone to sort things out with your husband" she replied truthfully, not wanting to worry Ariel, but knowing that she deserved nothing less that the absolute truth.

As it turned out, the absolute truth wasn't at all what Ariel wanted to hear. She shot upright so quickly it made her head spin, wide eyes fixed on Edith as if she couldn't quite believe what she'd just heard.

"No… no he can't, he can't have gone already." Her words were filled with panic as she rose to her feet.

"He'll be alright love, he knows what he's doing" said Edith, not one hundred percent certain that she knew her own words to be true as she placed a comforting hand on Ariel's arm, silently willing her to sit back down beside her son and rest further. But instead she merely hurried to the door.

"Ariel wait!" cried Edith in an attempt to stop her.

"No, you don't understand!" exclaimed Ariel, her heartrate rising as she stepped out into the corridor. "He's in danger, he's in such terrible danger and it's all my fault, I should've warned him!"

"Warned him about what love?"

Ariel turned around, her eyes filled with tears and regret.

"The gun," she said, her voice breaking as a choked sob escaped her lips. "Warren has a gun."

Edith felt the blood drain from her face and her mouth go dry as she suddenly found herself at a loss for words. But there was no time for conversing.

"Stay with Cory, please!" begged Ariel turned on her heels and rushing towards the stairs. She had heard Eric and Edith talking about this, and knew that if she should look anywhere for them it should be the promenade. She only hoped she could get there in time to stop Eric.

Edith stared after her as she left, shaking where she stood.

"Good Lord have mercy" she prayed, looking back into the room where Cory lay sleeping silently.


	16. Chapter XV

There was more than one point on his way to the promenade that Eric had to stop and remind himself to breathe. His heart was hammering so hard against his chest that it actually _hurt_ , causing him to grimace as he stepped outside. Almost immediately, he was gripped by the bitter wind, causing goose bumps to cover him even before the door had completely shut behind him. He was nearer the back of the ship than the front, mainly because he knew the fresh air would calm him slightly before he reached Warren. He needed the walk to help him relax, even if the change was only slight.

The young lord stepped up to the railing and took a deep breath of cool sea air, filling his lungs and clearing his mind of everything but the quiet beauty of the night. He needed to calm down. Up until this point he'd managed to assure himself that this would work, that everything would go as planned; but now that it was happening, he was scared. Not of being hurt, but of failing, of letting Ariel down and not being able to give her the freedom that she so desired… and deserved.

As he walked, his hands made their way to his coat pockets, seeking warmth there but finding something else instead.

A small back box.

Eric had almost forgotten about the ring in his pocket, and, not for the first time, wondered why he had always kept it so close. In this instance, it reminded him exactly what he was fighting for. A small smile graced his lips, though a certain tiredness caused it to falter almost as soon as it had appeared.

He knew that this would have been a better idea were he not so tired, and would've waited until he'd been able to sleep had he not known that it would be impossible until he knew for sure that both Ariel and Cory were safe. Until he knew for sure that Warren was no longer a threat.

The sound of a woman's drunken laughter soon broke through the night's quiet veil, pushing Eric back into the shadows as he approached the front of the ship. There were few people roaming the deck despite the late hour, for which Eric was grateful, he needed people to be around if this was going to work. It was close to midnight, the time when most people started to filter back to their cabins, but those who didn't, would come up on deck at this time to catch a breath of fresh air.

The twenty four year old hugged the wall as he walked, not stopping until he realised that he had reached the front of the ship. No, had he really lost his concentration for that long? He shouldn't have allowed his mind to wander… he couldn't!

He froze, glancing around frantically to try and convince himself that his eyes weren't deceiving him, that his sleep deprived form wasn't fooling him. But alas…

There was no one here.

Eric's eyes to travel up to the bridge, which looked out over the section on deck he had planned to meet Warren on. This is because he knew there would always be someone up there to witness Warren's brutish behaviour, and the danger that he posed. People would come down immediately if they saw that he was a threat to other passengers, at least... Eric hoped they would.

But this wasn't part of the plan, Warren was meant to be in front of him, trapped at the front of the ship with only the railing around him, whereas Eric would be able to escape should he need to.

Quickly he turned around, fully intending to make his way back to Edith's room, to come up with a new plan. But the sight that greeted him caused his breath to catch in his throat and his heart to stop.

Only a few feet away from him, standing in the shadows created by the deck above, stood a very angry, very drunken Warren.

And Eric had nowhere to run.

No, he wouldn't run, this ended now.

Holding his head high, Eric stood his ground, staring back at Warren with equal intensity. The older man strode towards him, his size seeming to multiply with each step.

"Where are they?" he growled, his words slurring due to his intoxicated nature, not having to elaborate for Eric to know who he was referring to.

"Safe," replied Eric, "and that's where they're going to stay."

Warren roared, and lunged himself at Eric, stumbling away as the young Lord jumped to the side, avoiding his attack with not a second to spare. Warren's hand had caught on his coat, and Eric thanked whatever deity may be up there that his reflexes were quicker than the drunken man's, and he was able to pull it away before he got a tight grip on it.

"Warren face it, you brought this on yourself," said Eric as the two circled, much like animals readying to fight, though Eric's steps were much more controlled. "You can't treat people like that."

Again Warren threw himself at Eric, his fist connecting with the younger man's jaw this time, meaning that Eric was the one to stagger back. This was bad, he was getting sloppy already. His jaw felt bruised, but after moving it around a bit he concluded that nothing was broken.

He barely dodged Warren's third attack, and the brute seemed to be getting the hang of this, as the fourth and fifth attacks came in quick concession, whereas Eric's reaction time elongating with every move he made.

Eric glanced around, escaping by what must be mere millimetres each time Warren came at him. Where was everybody? Even somebody just passing by would do at this point. More importantly, where was Bertha? She was meant to keep Warren at the front of the ship where Eric could see him, and wait for the opportune moment to make his move. Instead she had allowed Warren to wander, and gain the upper hand when it came to position.

Perhaps Eric had relied too much on other people; maybe he should've carried this out himself. How he could've done this alone he had no idea, but it couldn't have gone much worse than this.

Warren's next attack was slower, stepping towards the young Lord with menace in his cold black eyes, and Eric had no choice but to back away.

Warren's face was red with anger, his eyes bloodshot as they bore down on Eric like a tonne of bricks. Each step was staggered, causing him to drift ever so slightly with each stride until he stumbled back on course.

"Where are they!" yelled Warren for a second time. Eric remained silent, focusing intently Warren's every step, each movement was observed closely, for he knew that another attack could come any moment.

And then came the moment Eric had been dreading.

His back came into contact with the metal railing that surrounded the ship, and the smirk on Warren's face sent shivers down the young Lord's spine.

He was trapped.

Eric braced himself for pain, but was surprised when instead of lashing out at him, Warren reached inside his coat, his clumsy hands fumbling around until it found the inside pocket. Time seemed to slow down as it remerged, his fingers clasped around the handle of a handgun. His left hand moved quickly to grab Eric's wrist, holding him in place, his grip tightening by the second, but the grip of fear was tighter.

Eric struggled to free himself, ducking down in an attempt to slip from Warren's grasp. Instead, he found his arm twisted behind his back, putting a painful strain on his shoulder; much like the position Warren had forced him into at his home before all of this had started, before the tickets had even been bought. Oh, how Eric wished he could turn back time, to go back and try again, to go back and be better.

Warren's body pressed against his back, his ragged breaths loud in Eric's ear, the stench of alcohol assaulting his senses as the gun soon found its way to Eric's temple, alcohol playing a huge part in the way its position moved teasingly from his head to his neck and back again.

"Kill me," Eric dared, "do it Warren, but you won't come any closer to finding them. They're safe now, people will help them."

"But no one will help you!" spat Warren, pressing the gun hard at the base of Eric's neck.

"Eric!"

Both men froze, Warren turning so that they both faced back towards the promenade, rather than looking out to sea over the front of the ship.

The sight caused Eric to pale, and he could almost sense Warren's sense of victory from behind him. No, this couldn't happen, not now, not her, anyone but her. Eric's next words came breathlessly, his voice breaking from utter despair.

"Ariel."


	17. Chapter XVI

Bertha giggled to herself, stumbling around the promenade in a drunken stupor. She half dragged herself up a flight of stairs, the world around her a blurred kaleidoscope of colour and flashing lights. She had spent her evening entertaining a man… Daryl was his name. Maybe Kieron? She chuckled again, having already forgotten the man's name. Not that it mattered. She swung around every corner, singing to herself completely out of tune, swaying her arms around as though she were flying.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

Bertha turned toward the sound of the voice, almost falling over in the process, and smiled sloppily. Before her were two young men, both in uniform.

"You shouldn't be up here," said one, "crew only."

She laughed, throwing her head back, and took a few clumsy steps towards the men. "My b-boyfriend, has… _a gun!_ " she giggled, hiccupping every few words.

The two men looked at each other and rolled their eyes, tired of assisting drunkards back to their cabins as they had spent most of their night doing.

"Alright love, let's get you back to your cabin" they said, stepping up to take an arm each, ready to lead the drunken woman away.

"Shush" she whispered, her words slurring, making her almost impossible to understand.

A moment later, a crack like lightning echoed around the ship, though its source was unmistakeable.

"I told y-you!" yelled Bertha, throwing her arms in the air dramatically.

The two men looked between each other for a moment, before turning back the way they came, sliding round the corner clumsily in their hurry to find the Captain. Bertha watching them go, before resuming her song, swaying this way and that as she continued dancing around the ship without a care in the world.

* * *

Ariel stood frozen, paralysed by fear; a fear that had been present for years but magnified itself now in this moment. There were a thousand things she could've done to help the situation, but her desperate want to save Eric had lead her straight here. The sight of him with a gun to his head was what had caused her to cry out, not thinking for a second before she spoke.

Both men turned to face her, both with very different looks upon their faces. In Eric's eyes she saw a hopelessness that she'd never before seen in anyone, a hopelessness that mirrored her own, and the fear to accompany it. Warren merely smiled wickedly, showing rotten teeth as his gaze flitted between the gun he held in his hand, and the woman he called his wife.

As if time were being slowed, Warren moved the gun from its position against Eric's temple, and aimed it towards Ariel, evoking a choked cry from the man he held so tightly. The young Lord struggled to free himself, his every movement only causing Warren's grip to tighten as he was forced to watch as Warren's finger wavered teasingly on the trigger of the handgun.

With a burst of strength, Eric threw his head back, his skull connecting forcefully with Warren's nose and the drunken man was caught by surprise. His grip slackened, giving Eric enough time to slip away, but he daren't waste any time. Without stopping to look back, Eric rushed over to Ariel, before taking her hand and practically dragging her in the opposite direction of her enraged husband. The sound of gunshots followed them, though they were clumsy and inaccurate, bullets flying all over the place as Warren stumbled after them, rage currently being the only emotion he was able to comprehend, fuelling him to pursue at a pace faster than Ariel had ever seen him move before.

Eric led Ariel up to the bridge, not stopping and not talking as they fled.

Ariel could feel her heart pounding in her chest, tears threatening to overwhelm her as she ran after Eric. Each gunshot caused her to jump, and instinctively duck out of the way, bringing her free arm above her head every time. This was all her fault. She'd should've gotten help, if she had, then Warren might have been restrained by now. Her thoughts were interrupted when Eric stopped suddenly, causing her to crash in to the back of him and send than both stumbling forward. She looked up to apologise, but was greeted instead by a group of men, including the captain.

"What in God's name is going on here" spat one of the younger men, clearly under the impression that it was Ariel and Eric causing all the commotion. Captain Smith put a hand up to silence him, looking pointedly between the two people before him.

"Please, you have to help us," begged Ariel, determined to set this right before somebody got hurt, "it's my husband, he's-"

"There you are!" Warren cut her off, his voice echoing off the walls and causing both Ariel and Eric to jump. Immediately Eric moved himself in front of Ariel, so that she would be protected if the worst were to happen.

"Sir, I suggest you think very carefully about your next move" said Captain Smith, his authority evident in his tone of voice, upon noticing the gun clasped in the evidently drunken man's hand. But Warren wasn't listening, his bloodshot and bleary eyes focused on the young lord who stood between him and his wife.

He lifted the gun.

"Arrest him" instructed the Captain. A group of sailors looked between one another for the briefest moment before quickly moving forward as one. Warren's alcohol warped mind seemed to finally affect him as Eric hoped it would, his reactions not fast enough to register what was happening until he was seized by half a dozen men. He let out a monstrous cry, thrashing about wildly as the crew fought to restrain him.

"Let go of me!" he growled, bearing his teeth as a wild animal would. But the crew had a tight hold of him, pinning his arms to his side.

"Take him away," said Captain Smith coolly, raising his voice in order to be heard over Warren's incoherent yelling. "I don't care where, just keep him away from the other passengers."

Knowing that he had only one chance now, Warren let out an inhuman roar, breaking away from his captors just long enough to pull the trigger before the gun was knocked from his hand. The group of people around him flinched, ducking away instinctively… asides from one.

Ariel dropped to her knees in an attempt to avoid the bullet, bringing her arms above her head, trembling in place even after Warren had been dragged away, not daring to look up. A hand on her shoulder steadied her and her head snapped up to see Captain Smith himself.

"Are you alright ma'am?" he asked, eyes filled with concern.

It took Ariel a while to register that he had spoken, and even once she had she replied with nothing more than a single nod. Coming back to herself, she allowed Captain Smith to help her up and began glancing around frantically before what she saw causing her to freeze, for she had almost forgotten that Eric had been stood in front of her.

The young Lord sat with his back to the rails, his left hand raised to the opposite shoulder as he tried to keep his breathing steady. Had he not been so exhausted he would have been complaining much more, though the pain had quickly weakened him to the point where he was now fighting to stay conscious. The bullet had pierced the top of his right shoulder, and he was certain that his shoulder blade was broken if not shattered. A soft hand against his cheek forced his eyes open, and he found himself staring blearily into the tear-stained face of the woman he loved. To her right knelt Thomas Andrews and behind him Captain Smith, having just sent a man to find Doctor O'Loughlin.

"Are you okay?" he asked weakly, eliciting a soft sob from Ariel.

"I'm fine," she replied tearfully, "Eric I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't… y-your fault" said Eric, his voice breaking as a slight movement triggered a burst of white hot pain through his shoulder and down his arm.

Ariel watched in horror as his eyes closed, his body slumping as he lost the strength to remain conscious. His hand fell to his lap, exposing a growing area of red blood, clearly visible against the white of his shirt, though it was quickly soaking into the fabric of his coat as well.

"No, Eric wake up!" cried Ariel softly, taking his hands in hers and gripping them tightly. "Eric please, don't leave me… I need you" She broke down in tears when the twenty four year old remained unconscious, unmoving besides the slight rise and fall of his chest, and moved her head to rest against his left shoulder. "I love you."


	18. Chapter XVII

_Time seemed to move in slow motion as the bullet cut a sure path through the cool evening air. Eric watched from the arms of his captor as it flew towards Ariel, screaming at her to move though her feet remained firmly on the ground. Her eyes closed as the bullet neared her, seeming content to embrace death. Eric cried out for her again, hearing his voice echo off the walls and return to him without seeming to pass the young maiden, for there was nothing from her to suggest that she had heard it._

Ariel had watched Eric grow restless, his frequent twisting and turning electing soft cries and groans of pain from him as he unconsciously put pressure on his damaged shoulder. Perspiration beaded his forehead, his hands33 gripping the sheets of his temporary bed every so often before he suddenly sat up, his eyes snapping open as he cried out in pain, collapsing back as quickly as he had risen, pressing his face into the pillow in a sorry attempt to muffle his anguish.

Ariel helped him back, brushing his hair from his eyes in one swift movement and uttering soothing words to him as he fought to control his rapid breaths. He'd been waking like this for a few hours now, seeming to pass out every time only to wake up again twenty minutes later and, in all honesty, it scared her. Eric had always been so strong, to see him so vulnerable to his own thoughts brought tears to her eyes, and made her wonder whether they affected him this way when he was alone.

As his breathing calmed, Ariel expected him to once again fall into a restless sleep, but this time his eyes stayed open, his exhaustion evident from the way he stared blankly at the wall, tears clouding his vision.

"Eric?" said Ariel tentatively, placing her hand atop his and squeezing it gently. She let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when he returned he gesture, his head turning until his eyes locked on hers. It seemed to take him a moment to realise who was sat beside him, but as soon as he did his eyes lit up.

"Ariel!" he gasped, beginning to push himself up, only to be stopped by a worried looking Ariel.

"No, no," she said, "don't try to sit up, you need to rest."

Eric complied willingly, his shoulder protesting his every movement, white hot streaks of pain being sent tearing through the joint each time he so much as shifted. Ariel watched him intently, ready to help if he looked as though he needed it, her hands hovering only a few centimetres away from his body so that she might be of assistance. However, as Eric seemed to settle she retracted them, and lowered herself back into the chair that she had been sat in for almost four hours now, the minutes merging together to make it seem as though no time had passed at all. Her thoughts had kept her preoccupied; she had been informed that Warren was being detained somewhere further down the ship, and would remain there until Titanic reached America whereupon he would be placed under arrest for attempted murder.

After Eric had fallen into unconsciousness, a few of the men who worked on board the ship had carried him carefully to the medical cabin, whereupon Doctor O'Loughlin had worked continuously for over an hour to prevent the young Lord from losing any more blood than he had already, and then fixed a sling around the limb to prevent it from being subjected to too much movement. Eric had then been left to rest, and Ariel had stayed by his side since then.

Although thankful, Ariel was feeling a whole range of emotions at present. Yes her husband was being kept away from her and Cory, but if he were to escape the two would be in more danger than ever before, therefore, the deep rooted fear that she had of Warren stuck with her, and would do for a long time. She was ever so grateful for Eric's intervention, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel just a little bit of annoyance at Eric for putting himself in danger like that.

"What were you thinking Eric?" she asked before she realised that she had spoken. "You know what he's like, he could've killed you, and he nearly did!"

Eric could hear the emotion in her voice, and immediately felt a pang of guilt. In his desire to protect both Ariel and Cory he had neglected to pay attention to anything apart from getting Warren away from them, paying little attention to the effect that it would have on them emotionally. It had been such a long time since there had been people around him who cared about him, or so he thought, that the thought had never even crossed his mind.

"I'm sorry" he replied weakly, not having the energy to continue, nor knowing what to say even if he had.

Ariel sighed, taking his hand in hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. She wasn't angry with him, how could she be? She only wished he had been more careful, and less self-sacrificing for her sake, for she's never done anything to deserve such kindness from him.

The two exchanged weak smiles, until their attention was catch by the opening of a door behind them. Ariel turned her body towards the sound and let out a relieved sort of laugh when she realised who had just entered the room. Eric's mouth turned up into a smile as Ariel ran to embrace her son, whom Edith placed gently upon the floor whilst entering.

"Oh darling" gasped Ariel, holding her son close whilst at the same time being wary of his injured ribs. For the first time in his short life Cory was safe, and that thought sprung tears to Ariel's eyes, for it was all she had ever wanted for him. The young mother looked up to Edith, releasing her son for a moment and throwing her arms around the older woman.

"Thank you," she said, her voice coming to nothing more than a whisper, "thank you so much."

"There's no need to thank me dear, he's been as good as gold and better," replied Edith, giving Ariel a motherly pat on the back before glancing over at Eric who lay motionlessly at the side of the room. "I only wish I could've done more."

Ariel followed her gaze, looking over to see Cory slowly approaching Eric. An easy smile graced her face at her boy's careful actions as he came to a halt at Eric's bedside, her own expression mirroring Eric's.

"Hey kid" said Eric softly, tilting his head to the right.

Cory didn't reply, but remained looking sceptically at Eric, his eyes wide, the pools of deep blue peering from beneath his red locks reminding Eric so much of Ariel. It was odd, almost as if Warren hadn't been a part of Cory at all, for there was no likeness between them.

"Are you poorly?" asked Cory after a while, lifting his head so as to look more closely at the sling which cradled Eric's right arm.

The twenty-four-year-old smiled, letting out a breathy chuckle. "A little bit," he replied, "but your mummy's been looking after me."

Cory glanced back to his mother before turning again towards Eric. "She's good at that."

Again Eric smiled, agreeing with the boy and catching Ariel's eye from across the room, being greeted with a rare smile that had so often been his incentive to live. But his gaze soon returned to Cory, the toddler having grown tired of staring at Eric and now letting his eye dart innocently around the small cabin.

"Can I wear your coat again?" he asked, a childish smile taking over his features as he spotted the coat thrown across the end of the bed.

"Of course you can."

The casual exchange between her son and Eric had brought tears to Ariel's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away as Cory turned to her, and she stepped up to aid him in putting the entirely too large garment on. Childish laughter filled the room as Cory adorned the coat, the sleeves reaching the floor and his small hands being lost until Ariel had folded them up. Despite the persistent pain in his shoulder, Eric propped himself up on one elbow, grimacing as he tried to carefully move into a sitting position. Edith saw his intentions immediately, and rushed to assist him, leaning the pillows against the wall and helping Eric to sit back against them.

He thanked her, although he knew that after everything she had done both for him and for Ariel and Cory she deserved so much more than mere thanks; but for now it would have to do.

Ariel sat Cory on the end of Eric's bed, before sitting back down in the chair to watch him as he played with the buttons and pockets. Once Eric was comfortable, Edith bid the three of them goodnight, knowing that Bertha was in no fit state to care for Thomas, and therefore deciding it best that she returned to her room.

Then… all was calm.

Neither Ariel nor Eric felt it necessary to break the silence, both embracing it after all that had befallen them thus far on the voyage to America, quite content to stay this way for some time. And they did, for all of two minutes, until a small and excited voice broke through the silence.

"Mummy what's this?"

Both adults turned towards Cory to see his face a picture of awe and anticipation, and in his hand, a small black box.


	19. Chapter XVIII

The day was still, a striking contrast to only hours before. The stars twinkled faintly above Titanic, their true beauty being lost as dawn drew ever closer, only the brightest visible among the deep pinks and oranges of early morning. There was nobody about. Not a soul. The only noise to be heard was the splash of waves as the great ship threw the sea from its path. Nothing but the vast expansive ocean could be seen in any direction, and Ariel marvelled at how the sea and sky seemed to paint the very curve of the earth.

She and Eric had wandered the ships promenade in silence for almost a quarter of an hour now, Cory sleeping soundly in his mother's arms, Eric's coat still engulfing his tiny frame.

The matter concerning the box had been quickly dismissed; Ariel telling Cory that he shouldn't touch things that weren't his, and Eric letting the subject dwindle to nothing. An hour later they had made their way slowly to the promenade, the subject still very much at the forefront of Eric's mind, the ring now tucked away in his trouser pocket.

"Ariel," he said eventually, halting their already snail-like pace. "Can we… I mean, would you mind if we stopped for a moment?"

Ariel nodded immediately, realising that he must be exhausted if what she felt was anything to go by.

The two of them sat down on sun loungers, Ariel laying Cory beside her and smoothing down his red curls before turning her attention to Eric once again, holding his gaze for a moment before lowering her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself.

The concern in Eric's own eyes deepened. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Ariel nodded, unsure as to whether she was trying to fool Eric or herself. She had been doing just that for a long time now, telling herself that everything was alright, that it would get better, that it could be worse and she ought to be thankful for what she had. But it had become harder by the day, and she had soon reached a state of despair and depression from which she hadn't until recently seen a way out of. Now, with Warren locked up and Eric by her side, she dared to believe that her life was changing once again, and for the better this time.

Seeing that she was upset, Eric drew in a deep breath, trying to calm his frazzled nerves as he reached a hand into his pocket. Society be damned! He knew what he needed to do, _for both of them_ , whether it was seen as appropriate or not.

"Ariel" he said softly, drawing her attention once more. "I… well… I was going to…" he paused, and sighed, this was going nowhere.

Seeing his anxiety, Ariel stood up and moved to sit beside him, placing her hand comfortingly upon his knee, and flashing him a quick but genuine smile in an attempt to ease his worry.

It seemed to help and, deciding that actions spoke louder than words, Eric held out the box for her taking, his hand shaking ever so slightly.

With an uncertain movement, Ariel took the box in both hands, looking up expectantly.

"I meant to give it to you a long time ago" said Eric, managing to meet Ariel's gaze for a moment before his eyes once again made their way to the box in her hands.

The regret Ariel sensed in his words was almost overwhelming, and she desperately wished that there was more that she could do to help ease whatever pain he was feeling. But currently she was clueless as to what was happening, her hands running slowly over the velvet box in her hands, the outer-casing tickling her palm. It was small and seemingly fragile, and by the way Eric had presented it to her, obviously something of great importance. Did he expect her to open it now?

Lifting her eyes, she looked to him for an answer, the reply coming in the form of a single nod.

A gull flew overhead, its wingbeats seeming to count away the seconds as the two sat, side by side, Cory's soft and sometimes shuddering breaths blending with the pattern of the waves against the side of the ship. If it were possible they would have assumed time had stopped.

Ariel's heart fluttered in her breast, knowing before her head what sat nestled within the velvet casing. As she prised the two half's of the box apart, the symbol of Eric's dormant love for the girl he had grown up with caught the first rays of dawn, and Ariel's breath caught in her throat.

"Do you remember that day, the day I asked to meet you on the dunes?"

Ariel nodded, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes, her voice momentarily lost to her. It had been that day Warren had knocked on her door in the small hours of the morning and demanded they be married, the day she had watched the light leave Eric's eyes at the same rate the colour had drained from his face. Her mother had died the year before, her father and sisters (those who hadn't already moved away with husbands of their own) had been unwilling to accept that it was Ariel's desire to marry such a brute, yet she had been powerless to speak her mind given Warren's constant presence and the threat he posed to her family should she deny him.

She had wanted so desperately to run after Eric that day, to confess _her_ love for _him_ , but Warren's vice-like grip had reminded her of what awaited her should she try, what awaited _Eric_ should she ever entertain the idea of running.

It was that night that Cory had been conceived, behind the bins of the pub that Warren had dragged her to the supposedly celebrate their engagement. She had spent her time in the corner, tears spilling down her cheeks as Warren threw back pint after pint of beer, shying away from drunken men as they advanced upon her, only to then watch them be beaten seemingly to the brink of death by her fiancé.

When she had voiced her unwillingness to make love later that night he had thrown her down.

When she had tried to run he had yelled so loudly she feared it would deafen her.

When she had tried to scream he had beaten her until her body was numb.

He had dragged her home some time before dawn, her dress torn in places, her hair a mess, her bruises hidden by the dark unlit street down which Warren had acquired an apartment. Damp covered the wood-chip walls, the wallpaper peeling in places; the floorboards creaked and groaned with every movement and the drains shuddered so violently they may well have fallen from the walls.

It became Ariel's prison for the next month, the time it had taken for her body to heal, for Warren knew that people would start asking questions should they see her in such a state. So, he had demanded that she stay inside and out of sight.

It was where she had delivered Cory just six months later, and he had been so small, so fragile that she was almost certain that she would lose him. Yet, four years on, and here he was, sleeping soundly.

 _Four years._

Ariel startled as Eric's thumb brushed against her cheek, and she regarded him through tearful eyes, leaning into those gentle touches.

Without words, Eric brought his forehead to hers, the tips of their noses brushing together.

"I love you Ariel."

The young maiden sobbed, but the corners of her mouth turned upwards, for she couldn't help but smile. She lifted her hand to his and held it there against her cheek.

"And I love you" she choked.

In the back of her mind she wondered what others would think of her for demonstrating such intimacy with a man other than her husband; what society would do to her, and how she and the man beside her were going to make this work. But as Eric's lips captured her own in a loving and tender kiss she cared not, for in this moment she had everything she had ever dreamed of having… and more.


	20. Chapter XIX

Ariel froze in the doorway of A20, as though there were an invisible boundary preventing her entry. In all honesty she had hoped never to enter the room again, for it held so many unwanted memories despite the short amount of time she had spent in it. She looked first to the floor, where Warren had pinned her their first night on board, then to the corner of the room, where Cory had received his injuries, and then to the bed…

With a broken sob, Ariel turned her back on the room, burying her face against Eric's chest as she struggled to compose herself.

Wrapping an arm around his love, and placing a delicate kiss atop her head, Eric agonised that Warren had ruined what would have otherwise been a pleasant voyage. That the mere sight of the room she had shared with him had such a devastating effect upon her made Eric's blood boil and heart break simultaneously, and he vowed never to let such harm come to her again.

"It'll be alright" he assured, his voice soft as he spoke, wanting to provide her with a feeling of safety as best he could, heavens knew she deserved it.

From beside his mother Cory, who picked up on his mother's distress immediately, reached up and gripped her middle and index fingers in his hand, his wide blue eyes full of a compassion that very few would have associated with a four-year-old. He received warm smiles from both adults in return and, together, the three of them stepped into A20.

They had eaten breakfast early, after having walked to the bow of the ship to watch the sunrise. Welcoming a new day that they all hoped would bring a new life with it… a better life… a _happier_ life. It was then that Ariel and Eric had made the decision to return to the adjoining rooms of A20 and A11, to rest some more before the remainder of their day began. Ariel and Cory would share one, and Eric would take the other, wanting to be near them both should any danger come to them again, but not wanting to make any untoward advances upon a women who, technically, was still married. Ariel, of course, hadn't protested the decision at all.

Lying beside Cory in the bed of A11 caused Ariel's heat to race, and her throat to go dry, for it seemed as though she were once again at the mercy of her husband. But, it was infinitely better than returning to the bed of A20, for her memories there were so much worse.

With a lingering glance to her left she was able to make out the faint light of Eric's room through the door that connected the two rooms. A door that, for the remainder of the voyage, would remain at the very least ajar.

With a small smile she was able to settle down, instinctively pulling Cory slightly closer as she did so and eliciting a quiet protest from him as she brushed against his ribs.

"Oh!" she gasped, releasing her protective grip on him so that he might make himself more comfortable. "I'm sorry darling."

The four-year-old adjusted himself for a moment, before nestling back into the crook of his mother's arm, resting his head against her shoulder, his red curls falling down onto the pillow.

"Are you alright?" Ariel continued, not raising her voice above a whisper, for she knew that Eric, like she and Cory, would be at least _attempting_ to get some sleep.

Cory nodded in response to his mother's question, turning his head just a fraction.

"Mummy?" he quipped, matching Ariel's gentle tone.

"Yes my love?"

"Is Eric going to stay with us forever?"

Ariel fell silent for a while, before recognising that she couldn't tell Cory anything but the truth. "I don't know darling… do you want him to?"

Cory nodded, yawning. "I like him more than daddy."

With a sad smile, Ariel pressed a soft kiss to her sons temple, as the weight of sleep became all too much for him to battle. "So do I," she said, smoothing his hair from his face, "… so do I."

Eric had listened with content up until the point when he became the subject of conversation, at which point he turned his attention elsewhere, suddenly feeling guilty for eavesdropping.

Presenting Ariel with the ring had lifted a huge weight from him, and he felt able to think more clearly now that it wasn't constantly lingering on the peripheries of his consciousness.

Until Warren had been properly taken care of, he and Ariel would have to keep up a façade that represented their friendship, nothing more, lest Ariel face social and no doubt very public humiliation. No, he would keep her from anything that may upset her, Cory too. He would let her take the lead, going at a pace with which she felt entirely at ease. No doubt it would come as a welcome change having been so rashly pushed into things by Warren four years ago.

If _they_ were to have a relationship it had to be different, and it _would_ be, he owed her _that_ at the very least.

The three of them woke sometime around midday and, after a quick bite to eat in one of the quieter lunchrooms, returned to the promenade, Cory's kite in hand.

To Ariel it seemed almost as though time had turned back, and if she were to turn around she would see the Irish port of Queenstown. In many ways she wished that were the case, for there was no doubt that Titanic was a marvellous ship, and one that she would have so loved to explore. Although, given the happenings of her voyage so far, the opportunity was yet to present itself. Perhaps tonight she was ask Eric to walk with her, and he could show her around. Whether Cory joined them would depend on how tired the day ahead rendered him, and Edith had expressed her willingness to help wherever and whenever she could, so leaving him in her capable hands was very much an option.

With his damaged shoulder, Eric soon found that he was of little use when it came to kite flying, and so opted for sitting close by whilst Ariel spent precious time with her son. It was a rare sight that made Eric smile, and he allowed his mind to drift towards the future, a future that saw he and Ariel together. In theory he would potentially become a father to Cory, and that prospect both terrified and delighted him, for as much as he adored the toddler, he realised that he knew precious little when it came to caring for children. Still, he would embrace it should the opportunity present itself, for Cory deserved nothing less than a father who would cherish him.

Later that evening, after a day that seldom saw Eric, Ariel or Cory apart from one another, the three dressed more formally and made their way down to dinner, for the first time with the intention of straying from the À la Carte restaurant. It had been Ariel's idea, and she had told Eric that it was merely because she wanted to escape the memories of her time with Warren. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either, for above all else, she didn't want Eric spending any more money on her. She still felt a sometimes overbearing sense of guilt that she was even here in the first place.

Still, her reasoning had been enough to deter Eric from the restaurant, and besides, he was secretly grateful to be getting away from his business associates, whom he knew would question him to no end about the events of recent days. In all honesty he wasn't sure he could deal with the attention, a major contributor to the fact that he would much rather spend the evening elsewhere, and with more enjoyable company.

And hence, they did, Ariel and Eric returning to the promenade shortly after, once Ariel had lulled Cory to sleep and placed him in Edith's care, promising to return soon lest he wake up while they were gone and panic.

However, minutes, even hours seemed to merge together as the two wandered the decks, and it was half past eleven by the time they came to a halt as the ships stern, making it almost three hours since their meal. The illuminated moon gave life and light to the churning water left in the ships wake, the long trail of silver seeming to go on over the horizon and out of sight.

With her right hand in Eric's left, Ariel let herself lean against him, just ever so slightly so as not to unsettle his balance, her mind once again finding its way back to days when the two of them would sit upon the bridge and stare out across the water. She missed those days terribly, and were she to ask Eric he would have said the same.

"What will happen next?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence that they had fallen in to.

Eric looked pensive for a moment, turning his eyes down so that they might meet hers.

"You mean once we arrive in New York?"

Ariel nodded, petrified of what the near future might bring. It was something that Eric seemed to pick up on immediately, for he wrapped his arm around her and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Honestly… I'm not certain, but we'll face it together. I won't leave you Ariel, I can promise you that."

Ariel flashed him a grateful smile, which soon gave way to a gasp of shock as the wind picked up suddenly due to an unexpected changing of direction, blowing her shawl from her shoulders and over the ships railing before either she or Eric could catch it, and not for lack of effort.

Whereas it had been a rather expensive garment, Ariel saw no point in fretting over the loss, and soon turned her attention back to Eric, who, to her surprise, was staring at her bare arms with a look of what she could only discern as horror upon his face.

Her delicate brows knitted together, and she glanced down to see what exactly what shocked him so. What greeted her, were ugly bruises of all sizes that littered her elbows and upper arm.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, and very cold, she wrapped her arms around herself, her main priority being to hide her injuries, not wanting to worry Eric further; after all, they were nothing really, she had looked far worse in her time. Still, she felt angry at herself for not better concealing the blue and purple marks, and ducked her head to avoid meeting Eric's gaze. What she hadn't expected were the words that followed.

"Ariel I'm so sorry."

There was such pain in his voice, such regret, and Ariel knew then that he blamed himself for… for what? _For not protecting her?_ Now that she simply wouldn't allow.

"Eric no, please don't… it wasn't –"

The ground suddenly shuddered beneath her, cutting her off, and she had to grip the side railing to keep herself from stumbling. The silent night air was assaulted by the sound of scraping metal and her immediate though was that something terrible had happened.

Looking up towards the source of the noise, Ariel found herself stunned silent, for only meters away, obscuring any view of the horizon, stood a towering mountain of ice.


	21. Chapter XX

Edith smiled fondly, as Thomas read aloud to Cory, the two of them sat upon the bed, the book open on the lap of the older boy. He had always loved to read. Even when he was younger, and his parents couldn't afford to buy him much, he would walk to the library and sit there for hours, often starting and finishing a book in a day. Since he had moved in with Edith she felt as though she had spent more money on books than anything else, and had listened to him read more times than she could count. Now, it seemed, he was passing on that love for reading to Ariel's son, the boy eyes never leaving Thomas as he recalled _The Tale of Mr. Tod_ , the newest book in his vast collection. He spoke with a slight lisp, but one that Cory didn't seem to notice at all.

The four year old had woken just half an hour ago, tears springing to his eyes the moment he realised that neither his mother nor Eric were there with him. Fearful sobs had soon followed, waking Thomas, and injecting a deep sympathy into the twelve year old, who had immediately expressed his willingness to help the boy. Thus the two had, in their short interaction, formed something of a brotherly bond.

Edith marvelled at how like his mother Thomas was, with his round freckled face and accompanying combination of blonde-brown hair and hazel eyes, the left more squinted than the right, and something that nearing puberty he took an almost unhealthy amount of time fretting over. He would grow to be a handsome enough lad.

The almost silent knock at the door went unheard by the two boys, Ariel obviously not wanting to wake her son if he were sleeping. Placing her own book upon the table, Edith went to the door, allowing the young couple access to the room. There was something behind their eyes… uncertainty… fear… and Edith wondered whether something had happened concerning Ariel's husband.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, as the two stepped into the cosy room.

Ariel nodded, but Eric looked less confident, almost pensive, as though he were but a school boy trying to work out a particularly difficult mathematical sum.

If Edith had asked more into it she would have realised that her observation wasn't far from the truth. He had worked with ships all his life, he knew the mechanics of them, how they were built, he had watched many come to life before his very eyes, and he had seen the blueprints for Titanic.

Despite Thomas Andrews' reassurance that all was well when they met him on their way back to Edith's cabin, Eric knew that couldn't be the case. The impact had been too great… surely?

But, out of a desire to keep Ariel from worrying too much, he kept his concerns to himself, and stood back whilst she embraced her son.

Cory's attention had been drawn the moment that Edith had spoken, and his face had lit up when he's realised exactly who she was speaking to.

"Mummy!" he cried, hopping down from the bed as nimbly as his injured ribs would allow him.

Ariel's anxious features dissolved into an easy smile at the sound of Cory's voice, and she crouched down, drawing him into her open arms. She had picked up a cardigan on her way back, so her arms were once again hidden from view as she hugged her son and littered his face in tiny kisses, causing him to giggle.

Eric couldn't help but smile at the exchange, this being just about the happiest he'd seem them… well… ever.

Ariel looked back to the young Lord, and saw that he was massaging his upper arm gingerly, just below his damaged shoulder, and Ariel could tell that it was causing him a great deal of grief. There was such pain in his eyes that Ariel wondered why he didn't speak up about it.

"It's hurting again isn't it?"

Eric shook his head softly, pointlessly, for the growing fire in his shoulder had wound its way relentlessly down his arm over the past twenty minutes, and was quickly becoming difficult to manage. Soon, he realised, it would be all he could think about.

A pained groan caught at the back of his throat as Ariel approached him, lifting her hand to cup his left cheek and easing him down into the wicker chair that Edith had spent most of her evening in. She pushed his hair back and pressed her lips to his temple, as Edith filled a bowl with warm water and brought it over along with a flannel, placing the two on the table beside Eric.

"You know, if you talk to people you'll find they can help you" reprimanded Ariel, her tone gentle as she, with his permission, unbuttoned Eric's shirt and prised the loose sleeve away from the now blood soaked bandages. She paled slightly at the sight.

"That need's re-dressing," observed Edith. She knelt down a reached under the bed, seeming to rummage around for a short while before pulling out a roll of white gauze and returning to perch beside the young couple.

Cory, who, seeing that his mother was busy, had hauled himself back up into the bed, and Thomas with a smile to the younger boy, began reading once again, his voice being the only sound now.

Ariel fixed her attentions on tending to Eric, having removed the sling and bandages. Eric glanced down and to the right, not yet having seen the extent of the damage. The skin had been closed up over the wound, and felt as though it would rip open at any moment. Fresh blood seeped from between the stitches, and all in all it looked a complete mess.

Ariel was stunned that Eric could be so brave, for the way it looked he should have been complaining much more. Soaking the flannel in warm water, she laid the cloth across his shoulder, wincing as he sucked air through his teeth and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, fighting to keep from showing anymore weakness than he had already.

Ariel cleaned the wound as gently as she could, hating the quiet grunts and gasps of pain that she was eliciting from Eric, and trying her best to block them out. His left hand was gripping the arm of the chair so hard that his knuckles had long since turned white, his muscles taut across his chest as he forced in laboured breaths, as though he were constantly having to remind himself to breathe.

Once the wound was clean, Edith swapped places with Ariel and, with a warning that what she was about to do would hurt to no end, began wrapping the gauze around the inured joint. He would likely need surgery once he reached New York, Doctor O'Loughlin had said so himself, for there was only so much medical attention one could get whilst sailing across the Atlantic.

Eric cried out, almost curling in on himself, before throwing his head back and raising his arm over his eyes. Ariel whispered soothing words in his ear, tears coming to her own eyes as she realised that she was the cause of all this.

Cory and Thomas had stopped what they were doing by this point too, their heads turned towards the commotion, though Thomas's eyes were full of curiosity, and Cory's of sheer horror and panic. _She was hurting him!_ That woman mummy had left him with, she was hurting Eric!

"Stop it!" he screamed, startling the three adults, "mummy make her stop!"

Ariel found herself thoroughly confused as her son scrambled towards her, tears streaming down his cheeks, but as Eric once again gasped in pain she realised what the issue was, and sought to comfort him immediately.

"Cory darling it's alright," she said, standing and lifting him into her arms, "it's alright. She's helping him, trust me."

He did trust her, more than he trusted anyone else in the whole world, but he knew what helping was, and he knew what hurting was. People didn't get upset when others helped them, they were happy, and Eric certainly didn't look happy to Cory. But as Edith finished dressing the wound, and laid Eric's arm carefully back in its sling, Cory began to wonder how somebody so mean could at the same time be so gentle. She had _hurt_ Eric but now she was _helping_ him. It was like his mummy and daddy rolled into one person. It wasn't possible was it? To be both at the same time.

He looked back to Eric, who had relaxed considerably, his breaths coming out more evenly, and his slight movements less sporadic. Maybe his mummy was right after all.

But he didn't have time to dwell on it, for there came then a brief knock at the door, before it was pushed open. A short man in a white uniform stood before the crowd of people in the room, and spoke clearly but with an unmistakable level of urgency.

"Lifejackets on please" he instructed, before leaving just as abruptly as he had appeared, leaving the door open in his wake.


	22. Chapter XXI

Panic ensued, outside the room at least, whilst those who had most recently been left with the news sat and stood in a stunned silence. It took the arrival of Bertha to break the trance-like state that had enslaved the three adults.

"Edith lass, let's go, you heard the man" she cried, eyes resting only briefly on Ariel and Eric in turn before alighting on her sister, who immediately hurried to the closet and pulled out the two lifejackets stored there.

Ariel clutched Cory a little tighter, her eyes darting to Eric, who was pushing himself up from where he sat, wincing slightly as he did so. This couldn't be happening could it? The ship was unsinkable, she had heard a great many men say so, intelligent men.

She could feel her heart hammering against her chest as she thought back over all that had happened to her since setting foot aboard Titanic; since being wed. Surely she had suffered enough already! Perhaps it was her, perhaps she simply brought about bad luck, not only to herself but to those around her too. That was what she hated most, without a shadow of a doubt, not that she was suffering, but that the same could be said for Cory and Eric.

A soft kiss at her temple pulled her from her thoughts, and she realised that Eric had been trying to get her attention. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting, her's wide, frightened, his astonishingly calm given the current situation. Nevertheless, Ariel was thankful to see that he at least seemed able to think rationally.

"It'll be alright," he reassured her, "but we need to get back to our cabin, that's where our lifejackets are."

Ariel nodded as she picked up Cory's teddy from the bed and handed it to him, not trusting her voice. She took Eric's now outstretched hand, and heard without comprehending the words he shared with Edith before following him into the busy corridor.

She hardly knew where to look as she allowed Eric to pull her through the crowd. People pushed and bustled their way past one another, children crying as they lost sight of their parents. Ariel adjusted her grip on Cory until she felt sure he wouldn't slip from her grasp and gripped Eric's hand tighter, not wanting to lose either of them. The flow of people would have carried her along whether she had hold of Eric or not, but at that moment his hand in hers was all she wanted, all she needed. They climbed the stairs with everybody else, but turned off as the majority of the crowd sought to make their way into the promenade, and hurried towards Ariel's room.

"We need to get outside as soon as we can" said Eric, his voice strained. Ariel realised with horror that the hustle and bustle of the panicked crowd will have done nothing to aid the recovery of his shoulder. But, before she had the chance to say anything, they arrived at the door of a room she had hoped never to see again.

They entered the room that Cory had occupied rather than that which Ariel and Warren had shared briefly, and Ariel set her son down upon his feet before opening the wardrobe to find them both a lifejacket.

This felt like a dream; like a nightmare.

Cory was safe, for the first time in his life he was safe, safe from Warren, safe from everything! And now this.

Ariel whisked away the tears before either Eric or Cory could see them fall, knowing that she had to be strong, for both of them. She knelt down beside her son and slipped a lifejacket over his head before tying a knot to secure it.

"I'm so proud of you Cory" she whispered, cupping his face and brushing her thumbs gently across his cheeks.

The toddler managed a small smile as his mother's lips met his forehead, his eyes then following her as she rose and stepped over to Eric. It was then that the four year old froze, terror gripping him as he turned his attention to the closed door behind him. He felt a sudden urge to get out of the room… to run… something wasn't right.

Eric's eyes opened the moment Ariel's hand made contact with his cheek, and he fought to offer her what he hoped was a reassuring smile rather than a grimace.

"It'll be alright," said Ariel, "I know it hurts but you'll be alright."

Eric swallowed thickly, and nodded, his face now only centimetres from hers. The tips of their noses touched before they were pulled apart by the sound of a key turning in the lock of the door that connected this room to the adjoining one. Both adults were frozen, fearful of what they might see next whilst simultaneously telling themselves that it wasn't possible.

The door opened with a bang.

Ariel's scream bounced off the walls of the cabin, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she backed away.

Eric, without thinking twice, stepped in front of her, knowing that there was no way he could fight but willing to try anyway.

Warren filled the doorframe, his eyes set on Ariel despite Eric's presence.

He didn't move, his eyes scanning the room before once again alighting on his wife.

"Call yourself a mother?"

Ariel hardly processed what he had said, until she realised that where she would have usually held Cory behind her was merely a blank wall and an empty space.

"Cory" she gasped, hurriedly looking about the room. "Cory!"

Eric too had realised that the toddler was missing, and after concluding that no, he was no longer in the room, returned his gaze to Warren. "Where is he Warren?" His voice wavered somewhere between anger and despair as the slightly older man grinned, the sound of his wife's panic being something that he had grown used to over the years.

"Me?" he asked, his voice unusually calm. "I haven't seen him, you're the ones who were meant to be keeping an eye on him."

Ariel sobbed, her breathing erratic.

Warren turned away, called over his shoulder as he did. "I'd hurry up and find him if I were you!" And with that, he left the room, leaving Ariel and Eric staring after him.

"No!" cried Ariel, hurried out into the corridor, "no, no, no, no! Cory!"

Eric followed her, looking back and forth as he tried to ascertain where the toddler might have gone. Left or right? There was a fifty-fifty chance of them going the correct way, and God forbid Warren should find him before they did.

Ariel's hand fluttered against her breast. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. How could she have let this happen? Her little boy.

"Oh God… Oh God, Eric! I don't know where he's… I don't know where he's gone. I don't know wh-"

"Ariel! Ariel stop!" Eric gripped her shoulder and put himself in her line of vision, desperate to do something. "Ariel we'll find him, we'll find him, okay? I promise."

Ariel nodded, trying to force even breaths. "I don't… know… where he is!"

"I know," replied Eric, "but we'll start at Edith's room, he's more likely to have gone there than anywhere else."

In agreement, the two started off back the way they'd come not five minutes before, running until Ariel suddenly came to a halt.

"Wait!" she cried. "What if he went the other way, what… what if he comes back looking for us?"

"Ariel, we-"

"Eric we have to split up!"

"What? No, I'm not-"

"Please! Eric please!"

There was such desperation in her voice that Eric found himself momentarily speechless. There was no doubt that splitting up would help them find him sooner, but with Warren free there was no ensuring Ariel's safety, and he didn't like the idea of her running into Warren alone. Still, he wasn't currently capable of protecting her any more than she was capable of protecting herself.

Eric sighed. "Okay…okay."

"Thank you!" Ariel turned to begin her search, stopping only when Eric called her name. Their eyes met, both full of such pain and worry.

"Be careful."

Ariel managed a watery smile. "You too." And with that, she took off down the corridor and out of sight, racing against both Warren, and the freezing water of the Atlantic.


	23. Chapter XXII

It was a feeling of despair like no other that Eric felt upon finding Edith's room empty, and, not for the first time, he found himself genuinely stuck for what to do next. The ship was enormous, notoriously so, and there must be close to a million places a young boy could hide. If it was Cory's desire to hide then there was no way they would be able to find him. If it was he desire to run, there was a fraction of a chance that either he or Ariel would eventually bump into him. Was it better to stay in one place, or search and risk missing him?

Eric raised his left hand to his head as he stepped out of the small room. Never in his life had he felt as useless as he had on this voyage.

There were still people rushing about the corridors, although most had been halted by crew, and dense crowd of panicked and shouting people blocking every exit that lead to the promenade. Nobody could get through that, not even someone as small as Cory. So, either he was on the promenade already, in which case he would no doubt be taken to a lifeboat, or he was on one of the lower decks.

Having very little choice, Eric found a small stairwell made his way downwards, against the flow of passengers. Most probably thought him insane, some eve tried to redirect him, but if Cory was down there then he was in serious danger; thus, Eric continued, growing ever more exhausted with every bump to his shoulder.

Ariel, unbeknown to Eric, had come up with a similar plan, having deduced that Cory was no longer on the same deck as their cabins had been. She flew down several flights of stairs, almost tripping over the hem of her dress on numerous occasions.

Titanic creaked and groaned around her, and the further down she went, the fewer people she saw, until she could barely hear the screams and cries of those who had made their way to safety. Her own desperate sobs and frantic footsteps echoed off the walls of deck F until she forced herself to stop, only now realising that being only four, Cory could never have gotten down this many flights of stairs in such a short period of time.

She glanced to her left, the corridor she was stood in seeming to stretch on forever, and then to her right. More stairs, narrower here than anywhere she had been so far. Stairs to the engine rooms perhaps?

There was a sudden noise, like an explosion, like thick metal being twisted and snapped in two. An alarm sounded somewhere below her, and with another glance at the stairwell she realised why.

Water.

Ariel's breath caught in her throat and she staggered backwards, her back coming into contact with the cold walls of the sinking ship. She raised a hand to her mouth, trying to force even breaths and failing. Despite what she had told herself, despite the impossibility that Cory had made it that far, she couldn't shake the image of him being caught up in those tumultuous waters. Waters that were making their way relentlessly upwards, and spreading from the stairwell having now swallowed it completely.

"Cory!" Ariel choked, blinded by her tears.

She had failed him, her only son, her reason for living, the only source of joy in her life.

He could be dead… or worse.

The thought of Warren having found Cory first stripped Ariel of any strength she had left, and she fell to her knees. It was suffocating, this feeling of helplessness.

What if Warren _had_ found him… what if Eric had?

Hope. Only a glimmer of it but still, it was there, and as long as it was there Ariel would cling to it for dear life. Shaking, she pushed herself to her feet, gasping wisps of air as often as her panic attack would allow. She would find them both, Eric and Cory, whether they were together or not; and in her mind, until she was proven otherwise, they were.

At the other end of the ship, Eric sucked in laboured breaths as he descended to deck F, despairing at the inch of freezing water that covered the floor but proceeding anyway. It was clear to him now what would happen, how bad the damage was, and it terrified him.

"Mummy!"

Eric skidded to a halt, the splashing caused by his footfall ceasing. It had been a child's voice, but he hadn't been around Cory often enough to be able to immediately identify it as his. Still, somebody was in trouble, and so Eric continued towards the source of the voice.

The fearful sobs grew louder as Eric hurried the corridors, checking around every corner, every open door. The further he went, the deeper the water got, until his feet were submerged beneath the freezing liquid, and then…

"Cory!"

The four year old startled at the sound of Eric's voice, turning to face him but backing away.

He was stood in a short addition to the main corridor, his cheeks wet with tears and his eyes red. His clothes were soaked through, as though he had tripped and fallen in the shallow water.

Eric felt lightheaded with relief at having found Cory seemingly unharmed, and was by the boy's side in an instant, kneeling down in the water, and cupping his cheek.

"Oh God, Cory you had us worried sick, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Cory shook his head and, out of sheer desire to be held, threw his arms around Eric's neck and wept.

Eric grimaced, his shoulder protesting the sudden contact, but made no attempt to push Cory away. There wasn't a chance that he was going to deny Cory the comfort that he so obviously needed. He wrapped his left arm around the boy's shaking frame and held him close for a moment.

"It's okay Cory, you're okay" he said soothingly, fighting to keep his voice steady against the pain. He couldn't show weakness, not now, he needed to find Ariel and get her and Cory to safety.

Ariel shivered, stumbling as she ran. Her legs were numb by this point, the initial stinging pain of being immersed in freezing water having subsided somewhat, leaving her rather unsteady on her feet. She had felt the cold before, her home being poorly insulated, but never to such an extent as this.

However, wary that Cory may well be experiencing the same thing, she continued her search, wanting to be absolutely certain that he wasn't on this level before making her way up to deck E.

She prayed that Eric was having better luck than she, and that if Warren were to find any of them it would be her.

A sudden terrified scream was all she needed to know that that was not to be the case.


	24. Chapter XXIII

Eric felt sick. Physically sick, as Cory's scream tore through him. He didn't need to turn around to know who was now stood behind him.

Cory had retreated from his embrace in a second, and now cowered against the wall of what Eric only now realised was a dead-end. There was a door to his left and, desperately, Eric tried the handle.

Locked. Of course it was.

Warren chortled as Eric rose unsteadily to his feet, using the wall as his aid, and the younger man flinched, turning until his eyes met Warren's. He couldn't fight, he couldn't run. The very fact that he was still alive seemed a miracle, given that by this point Warren could have probably finished him off with a toothpick if he chose to.

"Give him here."

There was an unnerving calm about Warren, something that Eric had caught a glimpse of when they had met so unexpectedly upstairs, but was now exposed to in full. It was the calm of a man who knew what he was doing. The calm of a man who had planned every word, every movement. The calm of a man who knew he wasn't going to lose.

Eric didn't know what was worse, this Warren, or the one who had shot him.

"No" he replied defiantly. If he weren't so exhausted he might have tried to be clever, or so he told himself, might have been able to think of a way out of this. But no, the only thought he would entertain was the one that told him to protect Cory, whatever it took, whatever it meant for him.

Warren scoffed. "Give him here, and you can live."

Eric glanced sceptically at the water now half way up his shins and back to Warren, who seemed to be growing more restless with every second that Cory wasn't within his grasp. His steel gaze seemed enough to burn a hole through the young Lord, yet Eric stood tall, hoping that his posture would mask the fear that had taken root in his heart. He had to get Cory to the promenade, or Warren would be the least of their worries.

With a quick glance behind him, Eric confirmed that Ariel's son remained unharmed, though knee deep in frigid water and no doubt terrified.

Warren took a step forward, the first move he had made since arriving.

"Maybe I'll let you live anyway, and you can spend the rest of your life knowing that you let them down" he spat, pulling the handgun from the waistband of his trousers and raising it.

Eric stepped back until his hand came into contact with the top of Cory's head, whereupon he steered the boy to stand directly behind him. The action caused Warren to laugh and, undeterred, he pointed the gun in Cory's direction, causing the child to cry out.

Eric briefly considered attacking Warren. He'd be shot without a shadow of a doubt, but it might just give Cory enough time to escape and, realistically, he couldn't see any other way out of this… not until a slight movement behind Warren caught his attention.

Ariel.

She was barely visible, hidden behind the right angle created by the joining together of the main corridor to the alcove that Eric found himself trapped in.

Their eyes met for the briefest moment, and the young man didn't know whether to cry out in joy or despair. In the end in did neither, quickly returning his gaze to Warren before the older and stronger man noticed that his attention was elsewhere and grew suspicious. Luckily, Warren seemed too preoccupied with intimidating Cory.

Ariel's crimson hair disappeared, and Eric knew what he had to do.

 _Stall him._

"Warren he's your son!"

Warren seemed momentarily stunned, murderous eyes once again alighting upon Eric as if daring him to speak again. Did he honestly think that he could talk him out of this? Was he _that_ naïve?

A sudden surge of water flooded the deck, the ship groaning and the lights above their heads flickering. The water around them rose another inch or two, and a smirk crept on to Warren's face. If Eric wanted to talk then he would oblige, after all, he could swim, and neither Eric nor his son were capable of that.

Ariel clapped both hands to her mouth and backed away to prevent her laboured breaths from being heard. She had heard Cory's cry from afar, having only now reached him to find that both Eric and Warren must have heard him too. At first she had wanted to scream, to beg Warren to leave Eric and their son alone, but the moment her eyes had met with Eric's she knew that she had to do better than that. Barging in wouldn't help any of them, only subject her to the same danger that Eric and Cory currently faced.

The young woman racked her brain, despairing that every second she spent thinking the ship sank a little further, and Warren's temper only grew shorter. She couldn't be the damsel in distress anymore, she couldn't keep relying on Eric to rescue her, she needed to act, and fast. _He_ needed her to act fast.

"Warren he's your son!"

Eric's voice combined with Cory's sobbing, startled Ariel. Oh, she would've kissed him had their situation not been so dire. He was buying her time, and she wasn't about to waste it.

She moved under the cover of Warren's enraged reply, stepping through the nearest open cabin door and scouring the room from something, _anything_ , that might be of use.

There were four beds, two of them raised above the others, unmade and abandoned. Children's toys floated in the shallow water and Ariel had to fight the urge not to cry. She wondered whether those who had made their way to the promenade knew just how serious this was. Still, the immediate threat didn't come from the sinking ship, it came from her deranged husband, who currently possessed the means to kill both Eric and Cory at any given moment.

The young women scanned the room; bedsheets, toys, a suitcase, books, a violin. Being the only firm object in view, Ariel picked up the latter by the neck, not entirely sure what her plan was but wading from the room anyway. She hardly dared to breathe as she approached, halting the moment the conversation between Eric and her husband stopped and only continuing once she was certain that Warren wouldn't be able to hear her over the sound of his own shouting.

She knew what she had to do, something that she had thought of doing a thousand times before but never had the courage to execute.

Ariel peered round the corner, ensuring that Warren's back was still to her, that his attention was still solely on Eric and Cory. She felt relieved that he had lowered the gun to his side and, drawing as deep a breath as she could manage, held it and stepped slowly forward.

Eric was more than a little surprised when Ariel reappeared holding a violin, and it took him a moment to realise her intention. Praying that Cory wouldn't give his mother away, the young Lord returned his attention to the brute the stood before him.

"What can you possibly get out of this Warren? What incentive do you have?"

The number of things that Ariel would have to thank Eric for had grown exponentially, she realised, given that he was now undoubtedly the sole reason that her son was still alive.

The water was knee deep now, and had passed Cory's hips. Ariel tried her best to block out the sound of her sons wails as he clung to Eric, and instead focused on the task at hand.

Not for the first time she wished she could swap places with Eric, his swing surely being far stronger than hers. Then again, with one look at his bloodstained shirt, pale skin and tired eyes she realised that perhaps not, perhaps in this moment, and under these circumstances, they were just where they needed to be.

She had once chance, that much she knew, and Warren couldn't be knocked down easily. In fact, she wasn't sure he ever had been. Dread and self-doubt flooded her body, her heart hammering painfully within her chest. She wasn't strong enough, she never had been. She couldn't do it.

But she needed to.

Having grown impatient, Warren lifted the gun once again in Eric's direction. "Enough! I'll kill that boy, you can't stop me!"

"Yes we can."

It was a quiet voice, a trembling voice… a determined voice, and Warren turned towards its source just in time to see the blue of his wife's eyes before he was plunged into darkness. A sickening crack sounded, and the reverberations of the splintering instrument bounced off of the walls before Warren toppled forward, landing face down in the water at Ariel's feet.

Seconds passed before she dared to breathe again, and even then it was nothing more than a few choked gasps as she came to terms with what she had just done. The young mother staggered back, chest heaving as Warren remained motionless in the water.

Eric, for his part, could only stare at the scene in disbelief, but wasted no time in rushing to Ariel's side the moment her distress surfaced. He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, and brought his lips close to her ear.

"Breathe Ariel, it's okay," he reassured her, kissing the side of her head. "Everything's going to be okay."

Ariel took a few shuddering breaths against Eric's shoulder, her fingers tugging lightly at the back of his shirt, before she pulled away, her eyes meeting Cory's and immediately welling with tears.

The four year old hadn't moved, his eyes wide as he looked between his mother and father, his body trembling with the cold. He took a tentative step forward, his eyes now fixed on one person only, and that was all the invitation Ariel needed.

She hurried toward him and scooped him into her arms, lifting him from the frozen waters and hugging him tightly, the tears that fell from her eyes being tears of joy at the mere fact that he was alive.

"I love you! Oh, sweetheart I was so worried about you!" she cried, rocking her boy gently within her embrace as he began sobbing quietly against her breast. "Hush Cory, it's alright, mummy's here… mummy's got you now."


	25. Chapter XXIV

Time was a funny thing. Down here, on the lower deck of a sinking ship, every second seemed to stretch further than the last, taunting the trio as they waded down the corridor and to the nearest set of stairs. Still, at the forefront of their minds pressed the knowledge that time was indeed running out. Even Cory, young as he was, knew that time was not on their side this evening.

It had long since passed the time that he would have usually gone to sleep and yet he remained as wakeful as though it were noon. Certainly the biting cold played a key role in this, and given his closeness to his mother he could feel her heart hammering at an alarming rate against his own chest. How could he think of sleep when his mother was frightened so? He wanted to comfort her so badly. To comfort her as she had so many times comforted him, though felt powerless to do so, and simply clung to her as she followed Eric upwards.

The latter moved at a slower pace now, using his left hand to haul himself up each step, holding in his mind the knowledge that the longer they spent down here, the less likely it would be that Ariel and Cory would find a lifeboat. Eric thought back to the conversations that he had shared with his business associates.

 _Unsinkable is she?_

The indefensible disregard for safety demonstrated here filled the young Lord with resentment and in that moment he swore that whatever authority he had would be used to ensure nothing like this ever happened again.

Titanic groaned, eliciting a whimper from Cory, and the sound of rushing water sounded below them, leaving no doubt that there was no turning back now.

Ariel and Eric shared a fleeting glance before rounding the corner of the narrow staircase, at which point Eric froze.

Ariel, from her position behind him, could see no reason for him to stop, thus assumed that it was his shoulder causing him grief and reached out to him, placing a hand delicately on the elbow of his uninjured arm.

He turned, and as he did so, Ariel was able to see what had caused him to stop so abruptly and her eyes widened. A black, metal grate stared back.

Fear gripped her heart and, in her panic, she stared back down the way they'd come, only to be met half way by the ever climbing flood, which now left only a thirty centimetre air pocket between it and the ceiling of the E deck corridor below them.

Eric had continued upwards, gripping the metal grate and making a weak attempt to force it open. The sound of metal on metal echoed through the empty corridors, and for the first time Eric became aware of the distant screams of ordinary people who would lose their lives tonight. He looked back at Ariel and Cory in despair.

 _Not them_ , he thought, their names wouldn't appear on that list.

It took only three attempts at breaking through the grate for Eric to collapse to his knees with an agonised cry. In the back of his mind, and not for the first time, he considered the real possibility of losing his arm, something which was quickly overshadowed by the frightening prospect that tonight he would most likely lose his _life_. In the grand scheme of things a broken shoulder hardly seemed important.

That didn't stop it from hurting like hell though.

A smooth and gentle hand came into contact with Eric's jaw, guiding his unfocused eyes up from the floor, whereupon he found that Ariel, having set Cory down at the top of the stairs, had knelt beside him.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Her voice sounded nonsensically out of context, calm against the raging water below them, the cacophony of terrified voices carried down from the upper decks, and the surrounding groans and creaks of the sinking ship in which they found themselves trapped, perhaps in perpetuity.

Still, she could not will away the tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes.

Eric forced a few breaths before nodding, and was aided to his feet by the love if his life, grasping the unrelenting metal grate in his left hand for two reasons. The first being to keep himself upright against the pain, and the second being to ready himself for another attempt at breaking through it.

Ariel watched Eric steady himself, and only as he pulled back did she realise that regardless of his own torment, he wouldn't stop trying to do what anybody else could see was impossible.

She wouldn't allow him to suffer like that.

"Eric! Eric stop!" she begged, stepping swiftly between the young Lord and their prison bars. The pain in his eyes mirrored her own. She wanted to tell him it was a pointless exercise but the words caught in her throat, choking her. Acceptance seemed simultaneously absurd and the only plausible thing to do. What choice did they have?

For a moment Ariel had held in her mind the possibility that this would turn out alright. Warren was dead, undoubtedly, and Cory was safe from his father's wrath. But she was a murderer.

Was Cory afraid of her now? Did her actions make her just as bad as her husband?

The only chance Cory had of living was getting through this grate and she had halted Eric's attempts to do just that. What sort of mother did that make her?

The gentle pressure of Eric's kiss against her forehead broke her scrambled thoughts, and she became acutely aware of the tightness within her breast, and of her desperate, gasping breaths. It was all too much.

"Ariel, breathe, I've got you."

A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, drawing her closer, her cheek pressing against Eric's chest as he ran his hand slowly down the length of her arm. She closed her eyes.

Despite their predicament, a sense of something resembling calm washed over Ariel as Eric held her, and in only a minute or two she was able to regain control over her breathing.

A pressure against the back of her legs caused her to finally lift her head, and she glanced down to see that Cory had wrapped his arms around her knees, once again desperate to comfort his mother, the thick padding of his life jacket being all that was stopping him from pressing his trembling body against her.

The four year old had known the cold before, but it had been the numbing chill of winter, not biting… not painful. Nothing like this.

Ariel bent down and scooped her young son into her arms, pressing a kiss to his temple and realising for the first time that he was dressed in nothing but his pyjamas, his only footwear being a thin pair of green socks.

"Oh! My darling you're frozen" she gasped, gripping him a little tighter, only for Cory to wail and bring back to his mother's attention the injury to his ribs that he had suffered only days ago. What with everything that had happened Ariel had momentarily forgotten what Warren had done to her little boy.

"Cory I'm so sorry," she whispered, loosening her grip slightly. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him everything was going to be alright, that their lives would be better now, that they'd be happy once all of this was over. But she couldn't, regardless of just how much she wanted to believe it were true.

The water that had been steadily climbing had reached them now, frigid water lapping against their feet, and Ariel was glad that Cory was safe in her arms.

"I love you."

It broke Ariel's heart to think that she might never get to say those words again.

Eric had watched Ariel's attempts to comfort her son, and Cory's to comfort her, with a growing lump in his throat, a growing lump that threatened to suffocate him as Cory's small, tearful voice filled the silence.

"Are we going to die mummy?"

Ariel's sobs were instant, as was Eric's resolve that he would rather spend, what may be, his last minutes in agony than die with the knowledge that he hadn't tried with everything he had to save them.

With renewed determination he gripped the grate again, pushing and pulling at it furiously, all the while digging his teeth into his bottom lip in a sorry attempt to prevent himself from crying out as every movement added to his torture.

Then, with the water rising, with Ariel's cries seeming to tear into him, and with his own heart hammering so hard within his chest he feared it may burst, Eric paused, leaning heavily against the cold metal grate and straining his ears.

Ariel, possibly having heard the same thing, struggled to bring her weeping to a shuddering halt.

The noise publicised movement in the shallow water of the deck they were on. A quick, continuous series of splashes. Footfall.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **My goodness, it's been far too long since I last updated this! It felt so good to finally be able to get back to writing again, and hopefully now with school out the way I can continued with more regular updates. Thank you for being so patient!**


	26. Chapter XXV

**Author's Note:**

 **So, it turns out that I didn't have as much spare time as I had hoped over the summer, though did have the opportunity to visit the Titanic museum in Belfast last week. It was well worth the visit, and has allowed me to visualise what I'm writing to a much higher degree.**

 **This chapter was going to be much longer, in fact I had over 2000 words written before deciding that it could work as two separate chapters without either looking out if place in terms of being far shorter/longer than the rest. Therefore, I hope to leave a shorter gap between this update and the next. We'll see how that goes. :-)**

 **I hope that people are still finding this story enjoyable!**

* * *

Neither Ariel nor Eric could be considered particularly lucky, given all that they had suffered in their relatively short lives; Ariel had lost her mother and been terribly abused by Warren, and Eric had watched his family perish and lived a life of loneliness and obligation. However, if asked, both would have insisted that they were in fact lucky. Ariel would have said that she was exceptionally lucky to have Cory in her life, and Eric would have recognised that he was lucky to have been born into wealth.

Now, despite being trapped on a rapidly sinking ship, both would have still considered themselves lucky, and it had to do with the uniformed man responsible for the approaching footfall.

Ariel felt her legs turn to jelly as he entered her line of vision, she and Eric having pressed themselves against the metal grate like excited children straining to catch their first glimpse of a parade.

As the man turned to ascend the stairs across the corridor to their left, both called out frantically, and rattled the grate in an attempt to attract his attention.

"Hey! Come back, help us, please!"

"Please, we need help!"

For one horrifying moment it seemed that he had decided to prioritise his own safety and ignore their pleas, but then reappeared and stood just above the water line, staring at the trio through the wet strands of curly blonde hair which fell in front of his eyes, as if assessing whether it was worth it.

The water had reached their knees, and the lights would give out any moment. In fact, if it hadn't been for the little boy, who couldn't have been any older than five, staring back at him with his pale face and wide, frightened eyes, he probably would have continued towards the promenade, sealing their fate there and then.

As it was, he re-entered the water uttering a string of profanities, and Ariel couldn't contain her cry of relief as he fished a crowded bunch of keys from his right trouser pocket.

"What in _hell_ are you doing down here?" he rebuked through gritted teeth, fumbling with the keys in search of one which would release the family from their prison. "Have a death wish do you?"

Unlikely as it was, if the man had been expecting an answer he didn't get one. Instead, Ariel pressed her face against Cory's hair, despairing at the way his fragile body trembled in her arms. His blue eyes looked so pained, and so tired. She looked up at Eric, and noticed that his eyes looked much the same, until a moment later, when all they relayed was sudden, unadulterated panic.

"I'm sorry."

It took Ariel a second to realise what had happened as the man who had looked to be their saviour offered his brief apology, turned on his heels, waded through the icy water to the staircase, and disappeared.

Ariel's eyes grew wild and turned helplessly to Eric, before following his gaze downwards. There, barely visible through the water's uneven surface, she could make out the dark shape of the keys, having been dropped amidst the haste and panic.

Before she could even consider their options, Eric descended unsteadily into the water, his sporadic gasps of breath bringing fresh tears to Ariel's eyes.

The young Lord had never known cold like this, and it was unlikely that he ever would again, regardless of whether he lived through this horror or not.

Knowing that there wasn't a second to waste, Eric ducked under the surface, using his left hand to cover his nose and mouth to prevent him from gasping as he submerged himself. It proved to be an awkward effort, his right arm being completely useless, and he would've sworn that his heart stopped beating for the length of time that he found himself immersed. In actual fact this was hardly any length of time at all, for the diamond shaped gaps in the metal grate were only big enough for him to fit his hand and wrist through; thus, the keys remained out of his reach.

Without being able to use his right hand to anchor himself, Eric found himself drifting with each rush of water, and it wasn't long before his damaged shoulder collided with the unyielding metal grate.

He cried out, what oxygen remained in his lungs escaping him in his anguish, and forcing him to follow the rush of air upwards. He breached the surface spluttering and thought he heard Ariel call his name, though he couldn't be sure, as he struggled to regain his footing.

He did so eventually, and leaned his back against the wall, wiping the salt water from his eyes as he caught his breath, and struggled to reduce the severity of the shivers that wracked his body, not only to ease Ariel's worry, but in an attempt to bring the agony ripping through his shoulder to a somewhat manageable level.

"I can't… I can't reach them!" he admitted, fighting in vain to keep the strain from his voice.

Ariel looked from Eric to the water and back again more times than she could count, her head spinning in dizzy, disorientating panic. There was but one option left; but the water was at her waist, meaning that she couldn't put Cory down, she couldn't give him to Eric, and she certainly couldn't expect him to come with her.

Wracking her brain, she finally came up with a precarious solution and, after kissing the top of her son's head, held him up above the water line, where the metal grate met the ceiling.

"Darling, hold on here," she instructed, sliding his little feet into two of the gaps. "Have you got it? You mustn't let go Cory."

Cory nodded, clutching the cold metal bars with unsteady hands and glancing down fearfully at his mother as she reluctantly turned away from him to face Eric.

Ariel could see with only a glance that Eric had reached the end of his capabilities. His blue eyes were weary and unfocused, his skin pale and it looked as though his grip on the metal grate was the only thing preventing him from slipping into the icy water.

She approached him slowly, partially due to the sodden fabric of her skirts weighing her down, and brushed damp hair from his eyes before sliding her hand down the side of his face to cup his cheek.

"Hold on," she whispered, bringing her face so close to his that the tips of their noses brushed. "I'm going to get us out of this… I promise."

The last thing Eric wanted was for Ariel to experience what he just had, but unless they retrieved those keys she would do in a matter of minutes anyway, and Cory too. The thought of having to watch them struggle under the freezing water threatened to choke him and brought a not unfamiliar burning sensation to his eyes.

"I know you will" he responded automatically, his voice coming to nothing more than a whisper.

His words caught her momentarily off guard. How was it that he could have such belief when she was so unsure of herself? Warren had never shown anything of the sort, silencing her at every opportunity, always telling her that she _couldn't_ do things.

Eric's confidence in her sparked a renewed determination, she had to get them out, being at this point the only person who could.

The frigidity of the water snatched the breath from her lungs as Ariel lowered herself down inch by inch, gritting her teeth in a failed attempt to keep her pained cries from reaching the ears of Eric and her little boy. With every sound that escaped her, she watched Eric flinch.

It was nearly impossible to draw a full breath, but still Ariel endured, ducking under the surface in one fluid motion and using the metal grate to guide herself downwards.

The assault on her senses was torturous. She felt as though she were being stabbed by thousands of knifes all over her body, and her skull crushed by some vice-like force. When she was forced to open her eyes in order to obtain the whereabouts of the keys, the salt water blinded her. This, combined with the often pitch black corridor, meant that she was soon reduced to fumbling desperately along the floor until her diaphragm contracted horribly. Even then she refused to surface, until at long last her fingers closed around something tangible.

Lightheaded from both relief and oxygen deprivation, Ariel pulled the object to her chest and scrambled to the surface, inhaling a moment too soon, so desperate was she for air.

Despite his weakness, Eric didn't waste a second in pulling Ariel to him as soon as she breached the surface. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, holding her still as she struggled to expel the water from her lungs. In this instant it was all he could do, and his powerlessness made him want to scream.

"I've got you," he said, desperately wishing that his somewhat broken voice sounded reassuring, "I'm right here."

For a while Ariel simply lay with her weight pressed against Eric as she struggled to get her breath back, until she came to the frightening realisation that, although no longer completely submerged, she still found herself chest deep in liquid ice.

She pulled back quickly, taking in their ever worsening predicament with fear in her eyes, and wondering how they were ever going to get out of this until her scattered thoughts returned to the cold metal clasped to tightly in her hand.

She gasped. "I got them… Eric, I-I got them!"


End file.
